Costly addiction

Sir — When we shop for, among other things, new clothes, home decor, art supplies and gadgets every once in a while, our brains perceive it as a reward and release the ‘feel good’ hormone, dopamine, which triggers a rush and immediately uplifts our mood. This is precisely why shopping is often called ‘retail therapy’. But this trick to achieve a quick and easy respite from the doom and gloom of life on particularly dull and depressing days can quickly become a compulsive behaviour, especially with the ease of online shopping which can be done from anywhere. It ultimately costs people a lot more than they bargained for — literally. Shopping addiction is not just trivialised but is also the most socially reinforced behavioural addiction. This must stop.

Karuna Palit,Calcutta

Harsh words

Sir — The Union law minister,Kiren Rijiju, has suggested that there is a need to rethink the collegium system to expedite the process of appointing judges (“Rijiju to courts: Respect limits” Sept 25). There seems to be no end in sight to the differences between the executive and the judiciary on this matter. Given the situation, it may be prudent to reform the appointment process. Both the executive and the judiciary must be open to changes.

C.K. Ramanathan,Ghaziabad

Sir — It was unbecoming of Kiren Rijiju to ask the judiciary to work within its boundaries. His remarks were unconstitutional. Rijiju should apologise at once.

K. Nehru Patnaik,Visakhapatnam

Sir — Kiren Rijiju has disrespected the judiciary time and again by indirectly accusing it of overreach. His comments can erode people’s faith in the judiciary.

Roshan Kapoor, Calcutta

Poor planning

Sir — At a time when countries across the world are trying to mitigate the effects of global warming, the Union environment ministry in India has given its nod to a project in the Great Nicobar Island. This project will involve the felling of around 8.5 lakh trees in pristine rainforests and the loss of 12-20 hectares of mangrove cover, affecting 1,761 people, including the indigenous Shompen and Nicobarese communities. The island is home to rare flora and fauna, including leather back sea turtles, the Nicobar megapode — a flightless bird endemic to the island — Nicobar macaques and saltwater crocodiles. The country has been experiencing frequent extreme weather events. If we go on cutting trees mindlessly, the ecological balance will be destroyed completely. Development should not come at the cost of the environment.

Ashim Kumar Chakraborty, Guwahati

Tasting success

Sir — The former captain of the Indian team and star batsman, Virat Kohli, became the second player after Sachin Tendulkar to score 16,000 runs in white-ball international cricket. Kohli reached this landmark during the third match of the T20I Trophy against Australia in Hyderabad. Kohli has amassed these runs in 369 matches across 352 innings at an average of 55.95. The numbers speak for themselves when it comes to measuring Kohli’s talent.

Bhagwan Thadani, Mumbai

Sir — After the heartbreaking loss in the Asia Cup, the Twenty20 series victory against Australia comes as a relief for Indian fans. The poor form of the players which had been a concern during the Asia Cup seems to have improved. Virat Kohli, especially, seems to be regaining his flair. The Men in Blue should focus on working to better their form further. A single wrong decision can lead to failure and more heartbreak in the upcoming T20 World Cup. With just a few weeks to go for the tournament,fans are waiting with bated breath to watch their heroes perform.

Swati Pandey, Ujjain

Sir — Team India deserves credit for its series win against the defending world champions, Australia. However, India’s successes in bilateral series have not been reflected in bigger tournaments in recent times. The coach and the captain need to get to the root of this problem.

Ambar Mallick, Calcutta

Wrong direction

Sir — The draft Indian telecommunication bill 2022 is timely (“Crossed wires”, Sept 26). However, the draft bill has vested discretionary powers on the Centre when it comes to writing off the dues of telecom operators under extraordinary circumstances and deciding on the mode of allocating spectrum. This is fraught with risks. Further, at a time when the country’s telecom sector has been reduced to a duopoly, any attempt to curtail the role of the telecom regulator is not pragmatic. The country needs a comprehensive legal framework to cope with the sweeping changes in the telecom sector. This will not be possible without careful deliberations.

M. Jeyaram,Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu.

Great loss

Sir — According to a Ficci report, the exchequer has lost Rs 58,521 crore in taxes owing to illicit trade in fast-moving consumer goods, mobile phones, tobacco and alcohol. This is alarming, especially given the economic slowdown caused by the pandemic.It is important to create awareness among consumers to buy products legally. This will not only help the exchequer but also check inflation in the country by improving demand.

Dattaprasad Shirodkar,Mumbai

Parting shot

Sir — Tobacco is one of the biggest threats to public health. Tobacco use is causing poverty by diverting household spending from basic needs such as food. The government should take steps to curb the consumption of tobacco.

Sujauddin Sk.,Birbhum