Gentle touch

Sir — The actress and dancer, Sudhaa Chandran, revealed that every time she has to board a flight, she is asked to remove her prosthetic leg at security checks. This infringes on the dignity of the individual. Would the Central Industrial Security Force have apologized had Chandran, a public figure, not appealed to the prime minister to look into the matter? It is no secret that people with disabilities are routinely harassed in the name of safety protocols. Unless the staff is sensitized to conduct minimally invasive security checks, such incidents will recur.

Anamika Saha,
Calcutta

Fight on

Sir — A secret online school has reportedly been launched in Afghanistan by LEARN Afghanistan, a charity, for girls older than 12 who were banned from returning to classrooms by the conservative Taliban government. The efforts of the charitable institution must be commended.

Ever since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, severe restrictions on access to education and work for women have been imposed. The school is a ray of hope for female students but as long as the Taliban is in power, the situation is unlikely to improve for women.

Kiran Agarwal,
Calcutta

Old habits

Sir — It is astounding that a significant number of people are, once again, out on the streets without masks as Covid-19 cases rise in the aftermath of Durga Puja (“Covid cases are rising, masks are falling”, Oct 24). Last month, when I drove to Maithon Dam, I saw that most people in Asansol city were not wearing masks and mingling in groups without care. It is difficult to comprehend the rationale behind this when a large number of fully-vaccinated people are testing positive for Covid. People must continue to strictly follow
prescribed safety measures for the sake of their loved ones.

Ashok Kumar Ghosh,
Calcutta

Sir — We all knew that Covid-19 cases would rise once the festive season was over — this had been the case last year too. It is alarming that people continue to be this irresponsible. The mutant strains of the coronavirus have hit several countries where many fully-vaccinated individuals have succumbed to the disease. We have to acknowledge that inoculation is not a guarantee against the onslaught of the disease. We will need to continue to adhere to Covid-19 protocols for the foreseeable future.

Melville X. D’Souza,
Mumbai

Winning streak

Sir — India has clinched the South Asian Football Federation championship for the eighth time by defeating Nepal 3-0. Sunil Chhetri, Suresh Singh and Sahal Abdul Samad each scored a goal which put the team on the winning track. The efforts and steady performance of the Indian football team must be appreciated.

Anushka Jaiswal,
Ujjain