Old wine
Sir — Recycling is not always a virtue. Bollywood’s strategy of remaking old, popular songs into new ones is one example of recycling being a bane rather than a boon. The song, “Labon ko”, from the film, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, is set to make a comeback. It will be ‘remade’ for the upcoming film, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. Fans are understandably unhappy about this lazy hack of repackaging old songs instead of writing new chartbusters. The film industry’s resistance to trying new writers and composers is perhaps what leads to this rehashing of old ideas. Given the audience’s fatigue with such remakes, one is forced to ask an important question: if not the listeners who enjoyed the original song, who is it that songs are being remade for?
Sritama Roy, Calcutta
Murder most foul
Sir — Mumbai has witnessed yet another high-profile killing — that of the senior Nationalist Congress Party leader, Baba Siddique. The assassination of Siddique by two shooters as he was leaving his son’s office at Bandra seems to have been carefully planned. A political blame game has ensued after his death. However, it is too early to label this murder politically motivated given that the Mumbai Police is yet to conclude its investigation.
Siddique was well known for his elaborate parties, which were attended by Bollywood celebrities. It is saddening that such targeted killings continue unabated in the country. Harsh penalties should be awarded to the people behind Siddique’s death.
Kirti Wadhawan, Kanpur
Sir — The murder of Baba Siddique reflects poorly on the law and order situation in Maharashtra (“Jobless UP teens in Baba murder troika”, Oct 14). He had previously been threatened and, in spite of increased security, the culprits got to him. It is shameful for the Indian judicial system that a member of Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang is allegedly connected to Siddique’s death. Despite being in jail, Bishnoi is believed to be overseeing his gang’s activities. The Union home minister, Amit Shah, must address this situation to diffuse the tension in Maharashtra.
M.N. Gupta, Hooghly
Sir — The Congress president, Mallikarjun Kharge, has demanded a transparent investigation into the death of Baba Siddique, a politician and a popular figure in Bollywood who was praised for arranging life-saving drugs for patients during the Covid-19 pandemic. While Kharge is right to ask for a proper investigation, he is yet to comment on the troubled situation in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. It appears that senior Congress leaders are afraid of alienating their allies. Kharge should show statesmanship by commenting on the wrongs committed by the Congress’s powerful allies.
N. Mahadevan, Chennai
Sir — Baba Siddique’s murder is a reminder of the high stakes in the upcoming elections in Maharashtra. Investigations might make the motives behind the assassination clearer but the murder will have a chilling effect on politicians in the state as high-profile political crimes are usually fodder for conspiracy theories. Mumbai is no stranger to political shootouts. This killing will muddy the poll waters. As the big guns of Mumbai politics look over their shoulders, one should expect a recalibration in each of the parties in the fray. The chief minister of Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde, has said that “a gang-war-like” situation must be avoided. Siddique’s death will only add to the electoral tension in the state.
Khokan Das, Calcutta
Plan ahead
Sir — The editorial, “Be prepared” ( Oct 14), informs readers about the Public Health Emergency Management Act, a legislation recommended by an expert panel of the NITI Aayog to improve on the existing Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 and the Disaster Management Act, 2005. PHEMA has objectives like outlining readiness measures and response mechanisms to health emergencies in case of an outbreak. Gathering experiences from the management of the Covid-19 pandemic, the recommendations include creating a national biosecurity network to monitor human-animal interfaces, developing a stockpile of vaccines for treatment and building a forecasting network along with the advancement of research. However, PHEMA’s vision seems to be a centralised mechanism; it should have focused more on coordination among the Centre and the states while tackling a pandemic.
Sukhendu Bhattacharjee, Hooghly
Festive waste
Sir — Many Puja pandals across the state are made of non-biodegradable material and are coloured using industry-grade paints. However, some Puja committees do not dismantle and dispose of these structures responsibly. Broken bits of the pandals litter the streets and the toxic paints pollute local water bodies after dissolving in rainwater, often leaching heavy metals that can affect aquatic ecosystems.
The use of biodegradable material, such as jute, cotton, straw and bamboo, and reusing parts of pandals and ensuring the proper disposal of waste are necessary steps to protect the environment. The government should start campaigns to raise awareness about this issue.
Srijan Bhowmick, Nadia
Critical care
Sir — Livelihoods such as livestock rearing and pisciculture have experienced growth in recent times. But traditional crops continue to suffer the government’s apathy. The government needs to make sure that traditional agriculture gets the attention that it deserves. Policies ought to be framed to boost this vital sector and ensure the diversification of crop production. It is essential to rectify the imbalance for the sake of India’s food security and sustainable agricultural growth.
Anshu Bharti, Begusarai
