Dark side
Sir — Plants are second only to dogs in enhancing one’s attractiveness. As per Bumble’s recent study, 46% of single Indians feel that if their date or prospective partner has houseplants it makes them more interesting to talk to. In fact, 81% of single Indians would consider owning and caring for a plant together, irrespective of whether they live separately or together. Additionally, houseplants can purify the air in a room to a certain extent and have mental health benefits. India’s indoor plants market was valued at $5.12 billion in 2021. But this growing greenery is not necessarily good for the earth. This industry is water, land and energy intensive and has quite a significant carbon footprint especially if one considers transport cost. Not all that is green is good.
Shreya Verma, Mumbai
Tough fight
Sir — The Delhi Police has finally lodged two first information reports against the six-time Bharatiya Janata Party member of Parliament and chief of the Wrestling Federation of India, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh (“Police file FIRs, wrestlers score a point”, April 29). Yet, Singh is still the head of the WFI and the agitation of the wrestlers continues at Jantar Mantar. What is really disappointing is the response of the chief of the Indian Olympic Association, P.T. Usha, who is a Rajya Sabha MP nominated by the BJP. It is time that Singh is removed from the WFI and arrested.
K. Nehru Patnaik,Visakhapatnam
Sir — P.T. Usha has hurt people with her comments about the protesting wrestlers. But one is not surprised at her reaction. After all, she is beholden to the BJP for her Raya Sabha seat as well as her position in the IOA. Some sportspersons like Kapil Dev have tweeted in favour of the wrestlers, but that is not enough. The silence of the sporting community is not new. Most Indian sportspersons stay silent when it comes to political issues (“Grey silence”, April 30).
Jang Bahadur Singh, Jamshedpur
Sir — Shockingly, P.T. Usha seems to be asking women wrestlers to quietly accept sexual harassment so as to protect India’s image. Which image is Usha talking about? India is globally known as one of the most dangerous places for women. For how long will the ills of the country continue to be swept under the carpet?
Kajal Chatterjee, Calcutta
Sir — It is shameful that the Delhi Police had to be coerced by the Supreme Court into lodging FIRs against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Had it been against an Opposition MP who was accused, the authorities would have been proactive in their approach.
Amit Brahmo, Calcutta
Eliminate hate
Sir — While hearing a batch of petitions in connection with hate speech, the Supreme Court has rightly directed all states and Union territories to register suo motu cases against those making hate speeches (“No excuse now to condone hate”, April 29). The apex court’s direction underlines the scale of the problem. Hate speeches affect the social fabric of the country. Now that a delay in registering cases will be treated as contempt of the court, it is likely to curb hate speeches.
Arun Gupta, Calcutta
Sir — Terming hate speech as a serious offence that is capable of affecting the secular fabric of the country, the Supreme Court has asked the police to register cases in such matters even if no complaint is filed. The quality of politics has been greatly diminished by hate speech. Action should be taken against anyone who makes hate speeches.
It is normal to have rivalry in politics, but personal attacks and hateful comments must be avoided at all costs. If we are able to eliminate hatred from politics, many talented people will want to join and work together in the interest of the country.
Diganta Chakraborty, Hooghly
In the crosshairs
Sir — The troubles do not seem to be ending for Ambikesh Mahapatra, the Jadavpur University professor who was arrested in 2012 for circulating a joke on the chief minister, Mamata Banerjee (“Ambikesh approaches rights panel”, April 29). Calcutta Police have now declared him an “absconder” in a 2016 theft case even though he has been regularly taking classes, resulting in an arrest warrant being issued against him. This only goes to show that the police are hell-bent on arresting Mahapatra — one of the staunchest critics of the government’s alleged high-handedness — on one pretext or the other.
S.S. Paul, Nadia
Smart move
Sir — It is heartening that experts from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur are training the Calcutta traffic police on how to solve problems in the city (“IIT tips for police on making roads safer”, April 29). The traffic control system in Calcutta is in a mess.
It must be noted that most of the city’s important intersections are manned by civic volunteers who are not adequately trained. Experts showed how small changes, such as a slight tweaking of road markings or altering signalling time, can help reduce accidents. The speed limit should also be fixed at these crossings and monitored by experts in traffic management.
Debaprasad Bhattacharya, South 24 Parganas
Winning streak
Sir — Rajasthan Royals deserve praise for their performance in the ongoing Indian Premier League. The openers, the middle-order as well as the all-rounders have been displaying some high-quality cricket. The bowlers, especially Ravichandran Ashwin, have managed to keep the opponent’s top order under check by taking vital wickets. It might not be too far-fetched to predict that Rajasthan Royal will win the tournament this year.
C.K. Subramaniam, Navi Mumbai
