Languages of truth
Sir — Sucheta Satish’s recent Guinness World Record-making feat was a stupendous linguistic achievement. She sang in 140 languages during a concert in Dubai to raise awareness about climate change. Satish learnt and performed in the 140 languages from each of the nations participating in the CoP-28 Summit. This was not only an imaginative way of acknowledging the linguistic diversity of the globe but also an innovative manner of spreading awareness about climate change. Hopefully, Satish’s message about the crisis has hit home. But will politicians — a constituency indifferent to the unfolding catastrophe — understand Satish’s vocabulary? No language in the world has made the global leadership comprehend the seriousness of the situation yet.
Titas Sankar Ray, Calcutta
Disunited front
Sir — The Congress does not seem to have learnt its lessons about coalition politics even after the resounding drubbing at the hands of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the recent assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh (“Nitish opens fire on Congress”, Jan 9). What is the point of sticking to ideology and belittling alliance partners in the process if democracy itself no longer survives? The Congress’s arrogance threatens to dull the effectiveness of the INDIA bloc. It should restrain its leaders like Adhir Chowdhury from outbursts against allies.
Kalyan Ghosh, Calcutta
Sir — The chief minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, is a key strategist and has been instrumental in bringing more than a dozen parties on the same page. Not only did he want to be the convenor of the INDIA bloc but he also harbours prime ministerial ambitions. On the other hand, the Trinamul Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party had proposed the name of the Congress leader, Mallikarjun Kharge, as the bloc’s prime ministerial face. If there is such disunity and lack of consensus among allies, what hope can INDIA have of defeating the BJP?
N. Sadhasiva Reddy, Bengaluru
Easy win
Sir — The fact that Sheikh Hasina Wajed of the Awami League would occupy Bangladesh’s top post for a fourth consecutive term was a foregone conclusion given the boycott of the polls by the main Opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by Khaleda Zia (“Hasina set for 5th power term”, Jan 8). But a low voter turnout of around 40% compared to the one in 2018 signifies a turbulent political landscape.
The economy of the fledgling democracy carved out in 1971 has seen a decline in recent years with a rise in inflation, depreciation of the taka and outstanding loans weakening its garment industry. Another challenge for the newly-elected government comes in the form of international scrutiny into allegations of human rights violations, authoritarianism and crackdowns on political opponents. Wajed must tackle the numerous economic and political problems impartially if Bangladesh’s democratic reputation is to be preserved.
Vijay Singh Adhikari, Nainital
Sir — The outcome of the recent elections in Bangladesh is not surprising given the absence of the main Opposition party, the BNP (“Work on it”, Jan 9). Sheikh Hasina Wajed’s return to power is favourable for India; had the BNP fought at the hustings and won, sectarian factions would have been emboldened to carry out anti-India activities. The bonhomie between India and Bangladesh should continue to flourish with Wajed in power.
Aranya Sanyal, Siliguri
Sir — The prime minister of India, Narendra Modi, has congratulated his Bangladeshi counterpart, Sheikh Hasina Wajed, on her electoral victory. Such formalities are necessary but are rendered meaningless if the results are predestined. If the political apparatus of Bangladesh does not change, Wajed will remain in power even after the next elections (“Free polls a precedent: Hasina”, Jan 9). Out of the 298 seats for which results were announced, the Awami League has won 222. Several victorious Independent candidates are supporting the Awami League. Most of the prominent leaders of the BNP are in jail. Can such a one-sided election be fair?
Jang Bahadur Singh, Jamshedpur
Sir — In what was one of the lowest electoral turnouts in Bangladesh’s chequered history, the Sheikh Hasina Wajed-led Awami League won its fourth consecutive term in office by a convincing margin. Held amidst a mass boycott by the Opposition, the election process was closely watched by international observers and the jury is divided on whether it was free and fair. Wajed has become the world’s longest-serving female head of state. Her fifth term as prime minister will ensure stability in the Indo-Pacific.
Karan Singh, Chennai
Legend’s demise
Sir — The death of the legendary footballer, Franz Beckenbauer, has left a huge void in the world of football (“King of kings, a defender who reimagined football”, Jan 9). He was one of the fortunate few to have won the World Cup both as a player and as a coach. He led West Germany to World Cup glory in 1974 when his team defeated the star-studded Dutch side in the final. His stint with Bayern Munich was also memorable.
Indranil Sanyal, Calcutta
Sir — January has turned into a dark month for football lovers with two stalwarts of the game — the legendary German defender, Franz Beckenbauer, and the dynamic Brazilian winger, Mário Zagallo — passing away. Beckenbauer played a key role in his nation’s World Cup triumphs — as a player in 1974 and a coach in 1990. Both icons will be missed.
Jayanta Datta, Hooghly
