Change for the worse
Sir — As youngsters, there was a certain joy in running errands for the household. Not only did buying knick-knacks from the local grocer make children feel grown up and important but such shopping trips also usually ended with the grocer returning some loose change. This princely sum of, say, two, three or five rupees was usually given to the young shoppers as a reward — some put it in earthen piggy banks others bought kites or candy with it. Unfortunately, the ubiquitousness of smartphones and UPI transactions has rendered loose change, and with it such little joys, almost obsolete.
Manu Pathak, New Delhi
Crucial time
Sir — The upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand next month will test the mettle of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress, once again, after the elections in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir (“Poll season”, Oct 17). The political landscape in Maharashtra has been reshaped thoroughly since the 2019 election. The Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party have split, with one faction each in alliance with the BJP and the Congress, respectively. The ruling Mahayuti ended up with 17 of 48 seats in the 2024 general election, while the Maha Vikas Aghadi, of the Congress, the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Sena and the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP, won 29. But Haryana has proven that it is foolish to count on the results of the Lok Sabha elections as a metric for assembly polls.
Yousuf Iqbal, Calcutta
Sir — Chastened by the Haryana election results, the Congress has toned down its hype in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. It has appointed senior leaders to oversee the campaigns. But the BJP has had its strategy in place in these states for a long time now, under the guidance of veterans who command authority. The induction of and a party ticket for the former chief minister, Champai Soren, is proof of this. Soren commands considerable popularity among the tribal population in Jharkhand and can sway voters in that state. It remains to be seen how the Congress and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha counter the BJP’s strategies.
Prasun Kumar Dutta, West Midnapore
Sir — The Maha Vikas Aghadi and the Mahayuti are both scrambling to finalise the tricky seat distribution in the battle for Maharashtra. The state comprises six regions — Vidarbha, Marathwada, Western Maharashtra, Thane-Konkan, Mumbai, and North Maharashtra — with varied demographics, dynamics and issues. This is what makes winning in the state a tricky proposition.
Dattaprasad Shirodkar, Mumbai
Sense the thaw
Sir — The visit of the external affairs minister, S. Jaishankar, to Pakistan last week, the first in nearly a decade, to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit has produced a small but unexpected step towards a long overdue thaw in bilateral relations between the two neighbours (“Still cold”, Oct 18). Jaishankar has signalled that India is willing to respond positively to any productive changes in Pakistan’s approach since it was the latter that withdrew its high commissioner from Delhi and expelled the Indian counterpart five years ago when India changed the constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir. Islamabad had also cut off trade links with India. It had insisted that a reversal of the constitutional changes in J&K must precede any resumption of bilateral dialogue. One hopes Pakistan does not remain foolishly adamant about this and the two countries can resume diplomatic ties.
Mihir Kanungo, Calcutta
Sir — Even civility in India-Pakistan relations cannot be taken for granted. S. Jaishankar’s visit to Pakistan for the SCO meet is thus heartening. Jaishankar conducted himself with the grace and dignity required in Islamabad without diluting India’s positions on key issues. The hospitality and warmth displayed during Jaishankar’s recent visit were notable, particularly when contrasted with the abrasive behaviour of Pakistan’s former foreign minister, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, at the SCO meeting in Goa last year.
Kamal Laddha, Bengaluru
Soulful singer
Sir — After the shocking death of 31-year-old One Direction singer, Liam Payne, who fell from his hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, millions of fans are mourning the loss of an artist who was a significant part of their teenage years. From being picked up from obscurity to becoming one of the most popular bands in the world, One Direction had its own Beatlemania moments. Payne and band members provided succour to an entire generation of young adults who were at a precarious age as they figured out the meaning of love.
Sakshi Agarwal, Calcutta
Parting shot
Sir — It is thrilling that NASA’s Europa Clipper mission has embarked on a journey to Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons, to investigate extra-terrestrial life in the solar system.
Jubel D’Cruz, Mumbai