Early start
Sir — Corruption, unfortunately, is a part and parcel of life in India. Be it the petty amounts that citizens pay at government offices or the large ‘donations’ made by businessmen to political leaders, corruption infects every stratum of society. The fact that even schoolchildren have not been spared from its clutches was revealed in a recent picture uploaded by a bureaucrat which showed currency notes of large
denominations tucked in between the pages of answer sheets of a board examination with pleas from the students requesting examiners to allot passing marks. It is disheartening that many children find it acceptable to offer bribes to earn a degree instead of studying diligently during their school years.
Shayoni Biswas, Calcutta
Fresh blood
Sir — The Congress has done the right thing by including leaders who hold divergent opinions in its highest decision-making body, the Congress Working Committee (“Space for dissent in CWC rejig”, Aug 21). Most parties in India refuse to accommodate any dissenting opinions from within their own ranks. The fact that the Grand Old Party has done so should improve its standing in the public eye. Let us hope it will be equally accommodating towards its allies in the upcoming elections.
D.V.G. Sankararao, Vizianagaram
Sir — Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress president, has finally formed his new working committee, silencing critics who had accused him of being a lame-duck president. Kharge has assuaged the doubts of many leaders within the Congress who had feared that their open criticism of the party’s functioning would leave them out in the cold. His selection of a number of dissenters, such as Shashi Tharoor and Sachin Pilot, in the CWC has sent out a signal of intra-party democracy. Kharge has successfully dismissed concerns that even as the head of the Congress he would remain in the shadow of the Nehru-Gandhi family.
Abhijit Roy, Jamshedpur
Sir — While the constitution of a new CWC is a welcome step, the fact that many leaders from specific states have been excluded hints at the Congress’ myopia (“Regional disparity in new CWC sends a poll signal”, Aug 22). It is disheartening that leaders like Manmohan Singh, Ambika Soni and A.K. Antony, who have retired from active politics, have been retained while states like Odisha do not have a single representative in the committee.
The CWC will now have to focus all its energy on leading the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance. This will include letting regional parties take the lead in some states. The Congress will bank on Kharge’s vast experience to steer it through the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Khokan Das, Calcutta
Sir — It is heartening that the newly-constituted CWC includes members from all sections of society. The committee is a blend of the old and the new, and will infuse the party with dynamism. The increased representation of members from the minority, Dalit, Adivasi and other backward class communities in the top decision-making body of the party bolsters its inclusive image and will help present the Congress as a credible alternative to the Bharatiya Janata Party.
G. David Milton, Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu
Privacy concern
Sir — The articles, “Troubling bills” (Aug 21) and “Imperfect armour” (Aug 23), raise noteworthy points. It is worrying that the digital personal data protection bill allows the authorities to reject Right to Information applications on grounds of protection of ‘personal information’. The fact that the Data Protection Board will be nominated entirely by the Centre is also cause for concern. The first article highlighted the impact that Big Tech platforms like Meta and Google have had on the digital ecosystem as well.
Sukhendu Bhattacharjee, Hooghly
Sir — The passage of the digital personal data protection bill in the Lok Sabha is heartening. It lays down the obligations of entities handling individuals’ data. With advancements in Artificial Intelligence, stealing or falsifying of data will become even easier. People must thus be vigilant while performing online transactions.
Jahangir Ali, Mumbai
Gendered labour
Sir — Unfortunately, our society continues to expect women to carry out the lion’s share of domestic work (“Made visible”, Aug 10). Many men still believe that domestic chores are beneath their dignity. Thus, women are forced to toil both in their workplace and at home. This practice should stop. Both men and women should share the burden of domestic chores.
Aranya Sanyal, Siliguri
Soft targets
Sir — The international human rights organisation, Human Rights Watch, has recently accused Saudi Arabia’s border security personnel of killing numerous Ethiopian refugees who were trying to cross over from Yemen. The sad reality is that refugees are treated in this inhumane manner all over the world. Many ships carrying refugees are stopped in the Mediterranean Sea by the coast guards of nations like Italy.
Jang Bahadur Singh, Jamshedpur
Emotional win
Sir — In a thrilling reversal of fortunes after the final of the Wimbledon Championships, Novak Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the Cincinnati Open (“After epic win, Novak sees Nadal in Alcaraz”, Aug 22). Djokovic celebrated his win by ripping his shirt open. This was a testament to his hard-fought victory.
Jayanta Datta, Hooghly
