Pandora’s box
Sir — Some secrets are not meant to be shared. Not only do certain professions depend on the keeping of such secrets but successful marriages also hinge on the ability to maintain work secrets. But this is easier said than done. A man made a massive profit recently by eavesdropping on a work call by his wife, a mergers and acquisition manager. After overhearing her talking about a merger, Tyler Loudon purchased a significant number of stocks in a company, earning $1.7 million in the process. The confounded woman who had no idea about her husband’s scheme was later fired for this. Unsurprisingly, she filed for a divorce. While working from home has given busy couples some much-needed time together, it may have also opened up a Pandora’s box.
Trijit Sen, Calcutta
Grey findings
Sir — The findings of the recently released Household Consumption Expenditure Survey 2023 conducted by the National Sample Survey Office are interesting. Food consumption patterns have drastically changed in urban and rural India. The percentage of people’s expenditure on food, especially on cereals, is significantly less than before. Some experts have said that the decrease in the overall spending on food implies declining poverty. According to the Niti Aayog, the findings of the survey indicate that poverty in India is below 5%. This is not believable as the government still has to dole out rations to over 80 crore people. This should spur debates on the veracity of the survey.
D.V.G. Sankara Rao, Andhra Pradesh
Political talk
Sir — The prime minister, Narendra Modi, has announced a temporary suspension of his monthly radio talk show, Mann ki Baat, in line with “political decorum” (“Modi puts poll pause on Mann ki Baat”, Feb 26). Addressing the nation for the 110th time through this show, Modi pinned his hopes on first-time voters, encouraging them to exercise their franchise responsibly and diligently. Modi seemed confident about the results of the election. While he claims that the broadcast was meant to serve the nation, his near-silence regarding Manipur or the farmers’ protests reveal that he is eyeing electoral gain. We must thus carefully choose our leaders during the upcoming elections.
Aayman Anwar Ali, Calcutta
Timely test
Sir — The Calcutta Municipal Corporation has taken the initiative to screen pregnant mothers and newborns to look for rare diseases (“Pregnant women, babies to be screened”, Feb 25). This is heartening. Screening pregnant women can help in the timely detection of abnormalities in the foetus and other complications. It is an important test as many rare diseases are genetic. Early detection and awareness about such diseases could save lives. A lack of awareness, costly treatments and limited treatment options result in high child mortality in India.
Kiran Agarwal, Calcutta
Funds crunch
Sir — It is disheartening that the historic Indian Botanical Garden has been forced to appeal to corporate bodies for funding its infrastructure development, renovation and digitisation programmes (“Botanical garden appeals to corporate bodies for funds”, Feb 26). The garden receives a meagre 20 crore rupees from the environment ministry that is spent on paying salaries. Corporate bodies might alleviate the financial stress momentarily, but it is the duty of the government to allocate funds to this institution.
Debaprasad Bhattacharya, Calcutta
Runaway train
Sir — A horrifying viral video shows a goods train with 53 wagons travelling at 90 kilometres per hour for nearly 80 km from Jammu to Punjab without a locomotive pilot. The train was loaded with stone chips and it began rolling down a slope after its drivers halted for a tea break while the engine was still running.
Fortunately, there was no casualty and no property was damaged. The train came to a stop at a steep inclination near a railway station in Punjab. Six officials were suspended after an inquiry. Such an accident must not recur; it could easily have caused severe destruction.
M. Pradyu, Kannur, Kerala
Clean transport
Sir — With the threat of climate crisis intensifying, a group of tram enthusiasts and environmentalists marked the 151st anniversary of tram operations in Calcutta, calling on the city and its residents to embrace this eco-friendly mode of transportation (“Demand for more routes raised at tram anniversary”, Feb 25). Led by the Calcutta Tram Users’ Association, tram lovers demanded not only the restoration of the tram networks but also its expansion. By replacing private vehicles with electric trams or buses, a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions can be achieved.
Khokan Das, Calcutta
Memorable voice
Sir — The legendary singer, Pankaj Udhas, who gave memorable hits like “Chitthi aayi hai”, has passed away after a prolonged illness. Udhas was a leading ghazal singer and had a successful career in playback singing in Hindi films. His death has left his fans heartbroken.
C.K. Ramani, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu
Magnetic marvel
Sir — Scientists at the Paul Scherrer Institut in Switzerland have discovered altermagnet, a new type of magnetism. This can be used to create magnetic devices that do not interfere with one another because they do not have external magnetic fields. This feature would increase the storage capacity of computer hard drives and make computation quicker.
Arka Goswami, Durgapur
