Thin joy
Sir — Christmas celebrations at home are usually pale without a fat tree decorated with gifts occupying a big chunk of the drawing room space. Surprisingly, skinny Christmas trees are in vogue this year. Seen as a sleek, space-saving and budget-friendly alternative to traditional, full-bodied evergreens, ‘treezempics’, a reference to a drug named Ozempic used for weight loss, are being favoured in urban homes where space is limited. Celebrities have even been encouraging people to take up these minimalist trees. But the shrinking of home space is obviously an indicator of the worsening economic crisis. People cannot afford big houses to keep huge Christmas trees. Is then the hype around skinny trees an effort to celebrate austerity and declining living standards?
Namrata Thakur, Goa
Fresh barbs
Sir — There is less than a month left for Donald Trump’s inauguration as
the 47th president of the United States of America. But he has already begun making eccentric statements. After letting his intention to prosecute his enemies
be known and flirting with the idea of abolishing income tax, the president-elect recently said that his administration would try and regain control of the Panama
Canal.
Although the Panama Canal was built by the US, it passed on the ownership of the Canal to Panama in 1999. In response to Trump’s statement, the Panamanian president has asserted that every square metre of the Canal belongs to Panama. It is feared that the heated exchange between the two leaders will develop into a full-blown conflict.
Jang Bahadur Singh, Jamshedpur
Sir — It was surprising to hear that Donald Trump has threatened to take back control of the Panama Canal and reiterated his desire to acquire Greenland. Both of these ideas are not only impractical but also undermine the principles of sovereignty and international diplomacy. The Panama Canal, handed over to Panama in 1999, is a critical international waterway that must remain under the control of its sovereign nation. Similarly, Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, is not for sale. These statements are reminiscent of a bygone era of colonial expansion and serve only to destabilise international relations. Diplomacy not forceful rhetoric should guide US foreign policy.
Fakhrul Alam, Calcutta
Deep irony
Sir — There are several parameters that determine the living standards of a city. The most important ones are the health of residents and the quality of living. Merely being clean does not qualify a city as a liveable space. Indore is a classic example of this (“Paradox noted”, Dec 23). Air quality, waste management and the availability of potable water are other parameters to be taken into account before labelling a city ‘clean’. Poor air quality impacts health severely. A review of the cleanliness parameters is thus warranted.
Vinay Asawa, Howrah
Sir — It is ironic that Indore, hailed as the cleanest city in India for the seventh consecutive time, faces severe air pollution. Industrial and vehicular pollution, road dust and rapid urbanisation are some of the predominant factors responsible for this problem.
Air quality management and other related parameters should be aligned with
the annual cleanliness survey to implement a holistic urban cleanliness policy. Beijing’s approach towards mitigating air pollution can be considered a model in this regard.
Prasun Kumar Dutta, West Midnapore
Lost greenery
Sir — Pinaki Roy poignantly discussed the mindless hacking of trees inside housing societies in his article, “Green murder” (Dec 23). He emphasised leaving a better and healthier atmosphere for posterity by preventing the chopping of trees. In this respect, India’s proposal to develop a $5 billion mega-port on the Great Nicobar Island will have detrimental effects on the environment. The idea of compensating for the loss of greenery by creating a forest in Haryana is preposterous.
Sanjit Ghatak, South 24 Parganas
Welcome changes
Sir — A high-level committee of experts headed by the former chairperson of the Indian Space Research Organisation, K. Radhakrishnan, has recommended restructuring the National Testing Agency. There have recently been disruptions due to alleged paper leaks across the country. Stringent protocols to improve the transparency and the efficiency of national entrance examinations are thus necessary.
The panel has suggested a comprehensive review of the examination processes, the creation of a more robust security system and an accessible digital infrastructure. These are welcome interventions. More needs to be done to ensure that no student is left behind and the systems put in place are attuned to the needs of all candidates.
M. Jeyaram, Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu
Danger zone
Sir — The increase in the number of accidents on the Maa flyover due to rash driving of bikers is unfortunate (“2 dead as bike falls off Parama flyover”, Dec 23). The traffic situation on the flyover is poorly managed. Since a round-the-clock vigil is not possible, bikes should not be allowed to ply on the flyover, which has sharp bends.
Arun Gupta, Calcutta
Diverse fates
Sir — Two standalone theatres, Elite Cinema in Calcutta and Eros Cinema in Mumbai, have moved on diverse paths — the former towards its demise while the latter stands tall after restoration. Elite is part of Calcutta’s cultural heritage. The Heritage Commission should include Elite in its list for protection.
Tapes Chandra Lahiri, Calcutta
