Familiar depths

Sir — Very few disasters have captured the public imagination like the sinking of the R.M.S. Titanic. The mystery surrounding the famous shipwreck has spurred countless research expeditions over the years and, yet, the specifics of the incident still elude scientists. But a recent 3D reconstruction of the ship is expected to provide some answers. Whether this can settle the enduring pop culture question, ‘Could Jack fit on the door?’, remains unclear. One wonders whether repeatedly allocating funds for the same research is prudent when burning questions surrounding other big disasters remain unanswered.

Gunjan Saini, Mumbai

Brazen eyewash

Sir — The Narendra Modi-led dispensation at the Centre has failed to create job opportunities (“Can’t create more jobs? Make it a personal mela”, May 17). The unemployment crisis has also led to a decrease in demand and consumption, thus adversely affecting the economy. In light of this, the prime minister organised a rozgar mela in the national capital to distribute appointment letters with a cutout of him installed for photo ops. This is just a brazen attempt to personalise a routine administrative procedure.

The Modi government had promised to provide two crore jobs every year. But it has provided only 71,000 appointment letters against 9.79 lakh vacancies. This is a cruel joke played on the country’s youth. Instead of indulging in such eyewash events, the government must come up with a proper road map for filling up the vacancies in a time-bound manner.

S.K. Choudhury, Bengaluru

Lives on fire

Sir — At least nine labourers were killed and five others injured when an explosion ripped through an illegal firework factory in Egra in East Midnapore (“Firework factory blast kills 9”, May 17). This is unfortunate. However, political parties as usual have resorted to a blame game over the incident. The blast occurred as a result of serious lapses. The National Investigation Agency must conduct a thorough probe to get to the root of the incident. The authorities must ensure that the investigation is free from any political influence.

Ananda Dulal Ghosh, Howrah

Sir — The heart-rending stories of Ambika and Malti, the two villagers who were among the nine victims of the Egra firework factory blast, underline the plight of hundreds of those affected by the lack of jobs under the 100-day rural job scheme (“Cannon fodder in Delhi freeze”, May 18). The tussle between the Centre and the Opposition-ruled states over funds has been taking a heavy toll on the poor. Other development works have also been stalled as a result of this. The Centre and the states must iron out their differences to improve the conditions of those affected.

Amit Brahmo, Calcutta

Too slow

Sir — The Indian judiciary is facing an alarming crisis of pendency of cases. One of the major reasons for this is the acute shortage of judges. India has a handful of judges per capita — 21 per million people — compared to other leading economies. Moreover, various procedural lapses and the lack of digitisation have also been affecting the delivery of justice. Allocating more funds to build a robust judicial infrastructure must thus be undertaken on an urgent basis.

Tashi Baheti, Ujjain

Strive for truce

Sir — In a recent meeting between the South Korean president, Yoon Suk Yeol, and the Ukrainian First Lady, Olena Zelenska, the former vowed to supply non-lethal military assistance to the war-ravaged country. This suggests that a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia is not in the works. It has been more than a year since the war began and a return to normalcy is nowhere in sight.

Instead of brokering peace between the two sides, other countries are only adding fuel to the fire by supplying them with weapons. This is leading to a polarisation of the global order. International leaders should urge de-escalation at any cost.

Kirti Wadhawan, Kanpur

Films for fissure

Sir — Films such as The Kashmir Files and The Kerala Story are meant to further the anti-Islamic propaganda of the sangh parivar. For instance, the makers of The Kerala Story initially claimed a contentious figure of 32,000 women who had converted to Islam and joined the Islamic State but then brought the number down to three after facing backlash. This shows their lack of integrity. Similar films based on the dubious agenda, such as Tipu, The Bengal Files, The Razakar Files, are in the offing. These can create serious fissures in society.

Zakir Hussain, Kazipet, Telangana

Parting shot

Sir — Changes in social behaviour among kids owing to the increased use of technology are a cause of concern. A 2022 survey showed that smartphone use among Indian children is 7% higher than the global average. Parents should inculcate reading habits in their wards to wean them off gadgets.

Muzakkir Khan, Mumbai