Unkind act

Sir — Everyday interaction is being transformed into content by social media. Recently, a TikTok creator surprised an elderly woman with a bouquet of flowers — they did not know each other — to lift her spirits. The interaction was filmed without the woman’s consent and uploaded on social media as a ‘random act of kindness’. The woman, however, has said that she felt “dehumanised” at being used as clickbait. Furthermore, it is patronising to assume that elderly women will be thrilled at receiving flowers from a stranger. People seem to have lost their common sense in a bid to become famous on the internet.

Ananya Ghosal, Calcutta

Strange alteration

Sir — The difference in the appearance between the national emblem, the Lion Capital of the Ashoka Pillar at Sarnath, and the structure installed as its replica atop the under-construction Parliament building is glaringly obvious (“Horror at angry lions in emblem”, July 13). The newly-installed bronze cast looks aggressive and is certainly different from the original design showing ‘restrained strength and peace’. Perhaps the bared fangs and the alleged alteration of the facial expression of the lions conveying anger and aggression are indications of the changed political atmosphere of the nation. The Narendra Modi government should find other ways of expressing its preference for masculine strength and refrain from tinkering with national symbols.

G. David Milton, Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu

Sir — The Centre should not have modified the Ashokan lions in the national emblem on the new Parliament building. The government does not have the liberty to alter the national emblem, the national flag or the national anthem. This must be condemned.

Murtaza Ahmad, Calcutta

Sir — The leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party have claimed that the national emblem on top of the new Parliament building is an exact replica of the original design. Although the pictures have raised concerns, it could be the angle, height or scale of the structure that is making it appear more aggressive. Perhaps it is too early to raise a hue and cry about the structure.

Gundu K. Maniam, Ghaziabad

Steady decline

Sir — The article, “Learning to forget” (July 14), by Sreedeep Bhattacharya has empahsised the tendency of the present dispensation at the Centre to selectively remember history for political gains. Such endeavours are problematic and pit one group of citizens against another. Earlier, in the article, “Weaponising memory” (May 28), Asim Ali had also discussed the sangh parivar’s attempts at digging up past wrongs committed by Muslim rulers in medieval India. The common people are being exhorted to avenge past atrocities. This has put Muslim citizens at risk. The sangh parivar’s focus on religious matters is a tactic to shift attention from important, present-day issues pertaining to development. Bhattacharya has rightly pointed out that harping on the narrative of victimhood only leads to “secular slippages”. People must not resort to violence to settle historical wrongs. This is unacceptable.

Amit Brahmo, Calcutta

Hasty retreat

Sir — Elon Musk has announced that he has pulled out of buying Twitter because he did not get the information that he had sought regarding spam accounts (“Musk walks out of Twitter buy deal”, July 10). The Tesla chief has certainly stunned the world by suddenly calling off the $44 billion deal. Perhaps Musk had hastily entered into the negotiations without fully comprehending the complexities of taking charge of the social media giant. This speaks poorly of his business acumen.

Gregory Fernandes, Mumbai

Sir — Twitter has sued Elon Musk for reneging on his commitment to buy the social media company. This will likely lead to a longdrawn legal battle.

Sarmistha Guha, Calcutta

Dry spell

Sir — Most farmers in West Bengal depend on the cultivation of paddy for their livelihood. But the lack of sufficient rainfall this monsoon has led to concerns. The Bengal government has asked the Damodar Valley Corporation to release irrigation water earlier than scheduled to help farmers who are sowing kharif paddy (“Plea for early release of DVC irrigation water”, July 13). Unfortunately, DVC officials revealed that the dams do not have enough water because of lack of rainfall. This spells doom for the farmers in Bengal.

Shyamal Thakur, East Burdwan

Parting shot

Sir — Monty Norman, the prolific musician and lyricist who composed the James Bond theme, recently passed away at the age of 94. Norman’s creation was heard for the first time in the Sean Connery-starrer, Dr No, which later became the iconic theme music for the franchise. Even today, Norman’s work stands apart. He will be missed.

M. Pradyu, Kannur