Wrong image

Sir — The debate about authentic casting in the film industry has been raging for a long time. This is because ethnic minorities have historically struggled to get opportunities in the sector that remains plagued with prejudices. Take, for instance, the criticism surrounding the upcoming film, Maestro, which has Bradley Cooper, a non-Jewish actor, sporting a prosthetic nose to portray the late Jewish composer, Leonard Bernstein. While actors have to rely on make-up to resemble the characters they are portraying, using a Pinocchio-like nose to highlight Jewish traits can be caricaturish at best and anti-Semitic at worst.

Konineeka Das, Calcutta

Burning questions

Sir — At least nine tourists died after a fire engulfed a hired railway coach near Madurai station (“9 die in rail coach inferno”, Aug 27). Concerningly, the inferno is suspected to have started from a cooking gas cylinder that was smuggled and illegally used by the pilgrims, all hailing from Uttar Pradesh, for preparing tea and snacks. This was an act of utter ignorance. Further, the lax supervision and inefficient checking by railway officials are equally at fault.

Train accidents, be it the result of erroneous railway authorities or irresponsible passengers, have become increasingly common these days. The government should respond swiftly to the accident by installing adequate security checks and imposing punitive measures to prevent such man-made tragedies from occurring in future.

M.C. Vijay Shankar, Chennai

Sir — The Madurai train blaze raises several burning questions. First, given that it is deemed illegal to carry inflammable items, much less a gas cylinder, on a train, why were the pilgrims who embarked on a tour of South India from Lucknow permitted to carry coal and firewood to prepare food on railway coach?

Second, why was there not a single surprise check by railway officials to ensure that the passengers adhered to safety norms? These only point to flagrant violations of the railway protocols, both by the travel agency conducting the trip and the railway authorities.

Kamal Laddha, Bengaluru

Sir — Railway safety has worsened significantly under the Bharatiya Janata Party-led dispensation. The devastating triple train tragedy in Balasore, which resulted in the loss of 291 lives, is still fresh in our memory.

The callous concern for security on the part of railway authorities is a serious problem. It beggars belief that a cooking gas cylinder was permitted inside a railway coach. The officials must be penalised for such dereliction of duty.

Arun Gupta, Calcutta

Moon rush

Sir — India’s recent lunar expedition, Chandrayaan-3, was a resounding success. But this success masks the several blemishes that have been afflicting our daily lives (“Moonstruck minds”, Aug 27).

The triumph of the lunar mission will be sustained for a significantly long time to deflect attention from the multitude of crises that the Narendra Modi-led dispensation has failed to address, such as the pandemic-induced economic downturn, unemployment, poverty and inflation.

Aranya Sanyal, Siliguri

Sir — It is only appropriate that August 23, the day Chandrayaan-3 achieved a successful soft landing on the lunar south pole, has been declared as National Space Day by the government.

Further, the landing spot has been christened as the Shiv Shakti point. This is significant because in Hindu mythology the moon has always been associated with the deities, Shiva and Shakti. It is hoped that the success of Chandrayaan-3 will inspire the scientific fraternity to undertake more missions to space.

D.V.G. Sankara Rao, Andhra Pradesh

Historic gold

Sir — Neeraj Chopra, the Tokyo Olympic gold medallist, has scripted history yet again by becoming the first Indian to win the gold medal in the men’s javelin throw final at the World Athletics Championships, defeating Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem (“Neeraj spears gold with 88.17m”, Aug 28).

This is a matter of great pride for India and will provide a morale booster for all sportspersons. Chopra’s resilience helped him surpass his own record at Tokyo — an 87.58m throw. India and Pakistan have been historically bitter rivals in sports. Chopra’s triumph thus proved to be a cathartic experience.

Jayanta Datta, Hooghly

Curious case

Sir — While Jadavpur University is attempting to enforce a slew of restrictive measures following the death of a fresher, a group of men and women in camouflage gear entered the campus and positioned themselves outside the administrative office in an alleged effort to end the ragging culture (“New army”, Aug 28). This is shocking.

More baffling is the fact that the authorities, instead of questioning the group’s locus standi, have been downplaying the incident. The interim vice-chancellor should address the issue at once.

S.S. Paul, Nadia