Message from afar
Sir — One would think that managing a post office on a freezing, desolate island with infrequent access to fresh water is not high on the list of sought-after jobs. But the post office in Port Lockroy, Antarctica, receives plenty of applications each year. Duties of the staff include handling thousands of postcards, running the gift shop for tourists who pass through, and keeping count of the numerous gentoo penguins living nearby. A woman from the United Kingdom is so enthusiastic about working there that she has even tattooed an accurate map of the Antarctic on one of her legs. While the penguins may not send each other postcards, the ‘penguin post office’ does need staff to send the important message of conservation to the tourists who stop by.
Aditya Bhattacharjee, Calcutta
Privileged lot
Sir — The recently published Hurun Global Rich List 2024 ranked 3,279 billionaires in the world. India added 94 new candidates to this list, taking its tally to 271 billionaires with a combined wealth of $1 trillion. The head of Reliance Industries, Mukesh Ambani, is the only Indian to rank in the top 10 for 2024. The list also revealed that there are now more billionaires in Mumbai than in Beijing — 92 in Mumbai versus 91 in Beijing — although China still has far more billionaires overall than India does. Mumbai now ranks third globally as the home to billionaires after New York and London.
But this surging number of billionaires makes no difference to the lives of the common people of Mumbai. It would be relevant to learn how much of their wealth these billionaires devote to philanthropy and development by building universities and hospitals, supporting scientific research and so on. Business tycoons like Ambani and Gautam Adani rightly face criticism for failing to contribute adequately to initiatives for the development of the poor. Are citizens of a country ranked 111th on the hunger index supposed to be proud about pulling ahead in the billionaire race?
Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee, Faridabad
Sir — Indians will surely be proud about the Hurun Global Rich List 2024 as two Indian destinations now feature in the list of top 10 cities with most billionaires. Mumbai is ranked third on this list and New Delhi ninth. This shows that Indians are not shying away from entrepreneurship in their home country anymore. In fact, our start-up ecosystem is so conducive to growth that many Indian start-ups are gaining global popularity. The shift from an employment-seeking population to one that generates jobs will boost the economy. Let us hope more Indian cities feature on this list soon.
Kirti Wadhawan, Kanpur
Sir — The release of the Hurun Global Rich List 2024 is a wake-up call for India’s government. The fact that India’s 271 billionaires are worth a combined $1 trillion highlights the socioeconomic disparities in the country. An additional tax slab should thus be established for the super-rich. India’s top 1% owns around 40% of its wealth; it can easily afford to pay higher taxes.
P.V. Srinivas Sreelekha, Secunderabad
Shun violence
Sir — The recent terrorist attack in Moscow revealed human evil in its starkest form. More than 130 people lost their lives. Torturing the gunmen who fired on the concert attendees will not bring back the lives lost. The Islamic State-Khorasan Province has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has blamed Ukraine, the nation with which his forces are at war. ISIS-K perceives Russia to be part of the forces fighting against Islam. Perhaps it holds the Russian government responsible for supporting two of its bitter rivals: the Taliban in Afghanistan and the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria. But no cause can justify killing people. The daily loss of lives in Gaza and Ukraine also demonstrates the human capability for cruelty. All countries should unitedly find ways to end both terrorism and war.
G. David Milton, Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu
Sir — A terror attack in a nation where law enforcement agencies are known to be brutally efficient is another reminder that the tentacles of violence go deep (“Devil returns”, Mar 27). Wars and terrorist attacks have become common. If this trend continues, nuclear weapons could also soon be used for military gains.
Anwar Saeed, Calcutta
Sir — It is tragic that at least 133 people were killed and more than 100 injured when terrorists stormed a concert hall in Moscow, firing indiscriminately at crowds. Vladimir Putin has promised swift retribution on those involved. But what is more concerning is that Russian intelligence had no prior knowledge of this attack. This raises questions about its efficacy.
Jayanta Datta, Hooghly
Sir — No condemnation is enough for the terrorist attack that took place in Russia last week. This horrific attack reminds one of the day in October 2002 when some Chechen rebels took people hostage at a Moscow theatre. Blaming Ukraine for the recent assault is unfair; it has never been involved in such heinous acts. Perhaps ISIS-K has decided to attack Russia to avenge the atrocities committed by the Russia-backed Assad regime in Syria.
Jang Bahadur Singh, Jamshedpur
Valuable lessons
Sir — “A secular saint” (Mar 23) was an apt headline for Ramachandra Guha’s article about Chandi Prasad Bhatt, one of the leaders of the Chipko movement, who talked about sustainable development and fought against caste discrimination. The anecdotes from the English translation of Bhatt’s autobiography mentioned in the article were interesting.
Sukhendu Bhattacherjee, Hooghly
