Loose tongue

Sir — Being able to put one’s foot in one’s mouth may be an achievement while practising yoga, but in idiomatic terms, it is something that is best avoided. The self-proclaimed yoga guru, Baba Ramdev, recently remarked that women can look good in anything — saree, salwar kameez or even wearing nothing. This may have been an attempt at humour but it is safe to say that while Ramdev has immense control over his muscles, he has no control over his tongue. The fact that he made this comment in the presence of some of the top guns of Maharashtra politics and their wives with impunity shows the kind of political patronage he enjoys. Had someone else made the statement, he or she would have not have gotten away with a mere apology.

Anthony Henriques, Mumbai

Warning signs

Sir — A video from Xinjiang shows crowds singing the Chinese national anthem with the lyrics, “Rise up, those who refuse to be slaves” (“Protests rock Xinjiang, Beijing”, Nov 27). The outburst is a sign of people’s frustration with China’s zero-Covid policy. People all over China have taken to the streets to protest against the strict lockdowns. One such lockdown led to several deaths in a local fire in Urumqi by preventing the victims from escaping the site and delaying the arrival of help. Although officials have denied it, Covid infections have spiked in spite of China’s tough policy. It remains to be seen what the newly re-elected president does to mitigate the situation.

Sukhendu Bhattacharjee, Hooghly

Sir — The Chinese people are up in arms against the government even though dissent is usually crushed in China. The Chinese government should heed this as a sign and modify its Covid policy.

Yashi Bairagi, Ujjain

Sir — While the world slowly returns to pre-pandemic normalcy, Covid’s resurgence in China is a reminder that it is not business as usual yet. The resurgence of cases in China in spite of its zero-Covid policy, which has also taken a toll on the Chinese economy, is partly caused by the lack of proper vaccine drives and the low-efficacy of locally-produced vaccines.

M. Jeyaram, Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu

Take care

Sir — Football fans from all over the globe are attending the World Cup in Qatar. However, there is also news about the prevalence of camel flu or the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. This poses a serious risk to the people in Qatar. We must stay alert and take precautions to avoid infections.

Kirti Wadhawan, Kanpur

Smooth flight

Sir — The 56th flight of the Indian Space Research Organisation’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle was a textbook launch. Along with a series of satellites, the PSLV has also placed the Earth Observation Satellite-6, which is meant to monitor the ocean, successfully into orbit.

M.R. Jayanthi, Coimbatore

Deserved role

Sir — P.T. Usha, the track- -and-field athlete fondly known as the Payyoli Express, has been appointed the first woman president of the Indian Olympic Association. Usha has a record number of national and international medals. Her phenomenal achievements remain inspirational for many Indians. She is worthy of the position.

M. Pradyu, Kannur, Kerala

Help at hand

Sir — The ministry of health and family welfare recently published the National Suicide Prevention Strategy. It has been a long time coming. The strategy underlines the massive burden of suicides in the country and proposes measures to reduce suicide mortality by 10% by 2030. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, the most common reasons for suicide include family problems and illnesses. Marital conflicts, love affairs, bankruptcy, substance abuse and dependence are some of the other causes. Besides focusing on alleviating economic causes that lead to suicide, the link that connects all these factors is the lack of guidance and counselling. It is thus imperative to improve the country’s mental health infrastructure.

Satish Raheja, Mumbai

Biased coverage

Sir — It is evident that the media attention that Shraddha Walkar’s murder case received was meant to bolster the ruling dispensation’s bogey of love jihad. The equally heinous murder of a receptionist in Uttarakhand has garnered almost no media interest as the accused are connected to the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders.

Vijay Singh Bafna, Calcutta

Costly cure

Sir — Most popular pharmaceutical brands sell glaucoma eye drops in 2.5 millilitre bottles for about 600 rupees. Further, in these drops, the weight/volume percentage of actual medicine is generally 0.005%. This makes the pure form of these medicines almost as pricey as gold. Even patent costs and packaging charges cannot justify the exorbitant prices of medicines that are required by millions. The authorities should consider ways to make these drugs more affordable.

Apurba Kar, Calcutta

Powerful act

Sir — The death of the veteran actor, Vikram Gokhale, is saddening. He is known for several Marathi and Bollywood films, such as Agneepath, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Natsamrat, Mission Mangal and so on. He was also a stalwart of the Marathi stage, besides having anchored several television serials. Gokhale will be remembered by film aficionados for being a powerful actor.

A.K. Chakraborty, Guwahati