Traditional touch

Sir — When it comes to modern living, the concept of a modular kitchen is all the rage. However, the contemporary aesthetics of the modern kitchen cannot match traditional layouts and cooking paraphernalia. The modern kitchen’s array of equipment, for instance, the different kinds of knives, scrapers and peelers, is a weak substitute for the all-purpose bonti, a ubiquitous item in a Bengali hneshel ghar. Be it the peeling of the tiniest potato, chopping the greens or scaling the fish, the bonti could work wonders in the hands of the grihini, which ensured care and technique in the severing of food items.

Mrinalini Saha, Calcutta

Tragic turn

Sir — In a shocking incident, a colonial-era suspension bridge in Morbi in Gujarat collapsed, killing at least 134 people (“Toll amounts to 134, many children among the dead”, Nov 1). Several factors are considered to have been responsible for the incident. First, the bridge was thrown open to the public after repairs in a hurry as per the wishes of the ruling dispensation, which seems to be intent on gaining political mileage ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. Second, the company that was tasked with the repair and maintenance of the bridge, the Oreva group, had not conducted adequate safety checks and did not obtain the approval of the local municipal authority before its reopening. Moreover, the bridge was packed with more than 300 people at the time of the collapse although the load limit was only 20. The scant regard for public safety is disheartening. Those responsible for the tragedy must be brought to book. The authorities should also ensure the upkeep of all government structures.

G. David Milton, Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu

Sir — It was heartbreaking to learn that a 10-year-old boy, who was visiting the ‘Jhulta Pul’ in Morbi, was the sole survivor of the accident from his family — his parents and brother fell to their death when the suspension bridge collapsed. So far, nine people have been arrested in connection to the incident. However, it remains to be seen whether the police go after the big fish. The state government, too, should be held accountable.

N. Viswanathan, Coimbatore

Sir — The collapse of the suspension bridge in Morbi was an avoidable tragedy. It is surprising how the Oreva group, which specialises in making clocks and e-bikes, was awarded the government contract for repairing a Victorian-era bridge (“Officials escape early glare”, Nov 3). The reasons behind the mishap must be thoroughly investigated. The people visiting the site were also being callous as many were seen jumping on the bridge and pulling the cable wires prior to the collapse. It must be remembered that the prime minister, Narendra Modi, had called the collapse of the under-construction Vivekananda flyover in Calcutta in 2016 “an act of fraud” in an attempt to discredit the West Bengal government just prior to the assembly elections in the state. Should not the same principle be applied to the tragedy in his home state as well?

Ranganathan Sivakumar, Chennai

Welcome change

Sir — Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the leftist former leader of Brazil, has been elected as the president, ousting the far-Right leader, Jair Bolsonaro. Lula’s comeback is being hailed as the defeat of the divisive politics of Bolsonaro (“Second stint”, Nov 3). In his four years at the helm, Bolsonaro implemented controversial policies that led to the rapid depletion of the Amazon rainforests, grossly mismanaged the Covid-19 pandemic, and made abortion inaccesible even further. It is hoped that Lula will be able to undo the damage and restore stability in Brazil.

Jayanta Datta, Hooghly

Sir — It was feared that Jair Bolsonaro may not concede should the election results go against him. But he has agreed to a transition of power. Nevertheless, the administration must remain alert to any mischief by Bolsonaro’s supporters.

Shreya Mehra, Noida

Poor taste

Sir — The Congress leader, Rahul Gandhi, has been the subject of scrutiny ever since he started the Bharat Jodo Yatra two months ago. Recently, pictures of Rahul holding the hand of the actress, Poonam Kaur, during the walkathon in Telangana invited criticism from several functionaries of the Bharatiya Janata Party. However, Kaur later clarified that the Congress leader had held her hand because she tripped. The innuendos made by the BJP were in poor taste and unwarranted.

M.C. Vijay Shankar, Chennai

Collective rule

Sir — In “Deliberative democracy” (Nov 1), Namrata Jeph and Rajesh Ranjan highlight the importance of deliberation in a democratic framework. People’s participation is also crucial to ensuring fairness in governance. However, this has rarely been followed by the Narendra Modi government. The ruling dispensation must make sure that governance is a collaborative process.

K. Nehru Patnaik, Visakhapatnam