Emerald shadows

Sir — I am nearly eight years old and I am on my first trip to Calcutta. One of the highlights of my stay in the city has been my visit to the Agri-Horticultural Society of India in Alipore along with my family. There were many beautiful things to see at the garden, with the shadow of the trees getting reflected in a pool being the most beautiful of all. The garden, I learnt, is integral to the city’s history as well. I took this photograph — a reflection of the lovely trees on water — to remind me of my trip to the garden that is one of Calcutta’s greenest spots. I wanted to share this image with all of Calcutta.

Levi Arthur Hilton, Oxford, UK

Roadblocks

Sir — It was always clear that the Janata Dal (United) leader and chief minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, has grand political ambitions. The JD(U)’s indirect prod to the Congress to let Kumar lead the Opposition bloc is a clear indication of where the veteran leader’s ambitions lie (“Nitish pushes Cong on INDIA”, Dec 30). Kumar’s intention behind rallying the Opposition is now evident. He was expecting to be nominated as the prime ministerial candidate for INDIA. Since that plan did not come to fruition, Kumar is now trying to change tack. Such ego battles among local satraps within the Opposition are likely to be its downfall.

Bal Govind, Noida

Sir — The chief minister of West Bengal and leader of the Trinamul Congress, Mamata Banerjee, is losing her patience given the delay in arriving at seat-sharing arrangements among the Opposition. The TMC is in a deadlock regarding seat-sharing in West Bengal with the Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist). These creases must be ironed out soon if the INDIA bloc is to campaign in earnest before the Lok Sabha polls. The Bharatiya Janata Party will take advantage of such fissures within INDIA to come to power with yet another thumping majority unless the Opposition gets its house in order.

Murtaza Ahmad, Calcutta

Sir — The Aam Aadmi Party has declared its intention of going solo in Punjab for the Lok Sabha election and seat-sharing talks between the Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) in Maharashtra have hit a roadblock. This does not bode well for either INDIA or India.

Kamal Basu, Calcutta

Pact for peace

Sir — On December 29, 2023, a historic agreement was signed between the Government of India and Arabinda Rajkhowa faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom. One hopes that this peace pact will end the decades of insurgency that have ravaged the state. The cessation of hostilities between the government and ULFA will also allow business to thrive in Assam, especially in the tea gardens that have had to pay a heavy price for the insurgency. A new era of peace and prosperity might have been ushered in in the state.

Ramesh G. Jethwani, Bengaluru

Sir — Thus far, all agreements that the Centre has signed with armed outfits in the Northeast have been termed ‘historic’ but have turned out to be nothing close. These so-called historic agreements have proved to be hollow when it comes to their efficacy in benefiting the public in general and the community at large.

Sangeeta Lama, Guwahati

Driven out

Sir — The translocation of several fishing cats from their natural habitats in Howrah and Hooghly because they were allegedly depleting fish stocks in the local water bodies is worrisome (“Fishing cats trapped and relocated”, Dec 27). Human encroachment into the wetlands is driving out the native species that are largely dependent on local food sources. The fishing cat or baghrol is on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It is also West Bengal’s state animal. As such, it deserves greater attention and protection. Conservation of fishing cats requires a concerted effort and long-term planning on the part of the government and other authorities.

Tapes Chandra Lahiri, Calcutta

Be cautious

Sir — The recent spike in Covid-19 cases in India is cause for concern. The emergence of the JN.1 sub-variant of the coronavirus is worrying. Both the Centre as well as the state governments should take pre-emptive measures to make sure that the situation does not get out of hand. People should go back to wearing masks and washing their hands frequently.

Ibne Farooq, Varanasi

Parting shot

Sir — Following the triumphant soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 and the launch of Aditya-L1, the Indian Space Research Organisation is poised for yet another monumental stride in space research. XPoSat, India’s first dedicated polarimetry mission, is set to be launched today. A strategic blend of innovation, frugality and meticulous planning allows Isro to consistently execute successful missions that meet their objectives while remaining affordable.

Dimple Wadhawan, Kanpur