Strange cravings

Sir— Strange pregnancy cravings are not unheard of — bananas with ketchup, tuna with ice cream, and Nutella with mayonnaise are some of the bizarre food combinations that women have craved while they were expecting. However, a woman in Uttar Pradesh had a craving that makes these combinations seem delectable in comparison. She developed an fondness for eating hair during her pregnancy. Doctors recently removed 2.5 kilogrammes of hair from her stomach. This craving might seem strange at first, but if one considers the fact that pregnancy pica — craving for non-food items like clay and hair — is usually caused by iron deficiency, it will no longer feel odd. After all, nearly 53% of Indian women between the ages of 15 and 50 years have anaemia.

Shivani Yadav, Bhopal

Grave indictment

Sir — The conviction of Donald Trump, the former president of the United States of America and the Republican Party’s nominee for the upcoming presidential polls, on 34 felony counts may or may not affect his electoral fortunes; but it does prove that the law treats everyone equally (“Trump guilty, could be first felon President”, June 1). Trump becoming the first former US president to be a convicted felon is a testament to the robustness and the independence of the American judiciary. His conviction might influence voters in the swing states. It is too early to say how the verdict will impact the presidential elections.

M. Jeyaram, Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu

Sir — Donald Trump has been convicted on several counts of felony. Yet the US Constitution does not bar him from running for office, unless he is convicted of treason — in this context, it must be mentioned that he has not been charged with instigating the insurrection at Capitol Hill which would be a treasonable offence. In an age when assertive majoritarianism is glorified, Trump’s return to power will not be surprising. The ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza and the US’s standoff with China have posed significant challenges for President Joe Biden. But he could gain the people’s trust by deftly handling these crises.

R. Narayanan, Navi Mumbai

Sir — The presidential aspirant, Donald Trump, has claimed that the trial against him was “rigged” and attributed it to vendetta politics by the Joe Biden-led administration. The conviction will not prevent Trump from contesting the presidential elections even though he is facing three other criminal trials, including two related to his alleged attempts to overturn his poll defeat — Trump is believed to have incited his supporters to storm the US Capitol. Yet Trump remains as defiant and unapologetic as ever. Even as his legal troubles keep mounting, he is pleading innocence. It is up to American voters to decide whether he is more sinned against than a sinner.

Khokan Das, Calcutta

Sir — The conviction of Donald Trump will not only define the upcoming presidential elections in the US but also the course of American history. Trump will use the verdict to play the victim card for his supporters. According to a survey, a large section of voters view Trump’s trial as being politically motivated. The ball is now in the voters’ court.

Bal Govind, Noida

At risk

Sir — Assaults on journalists across the world signify the decline of democracy. As the fourth pillar of democracy, it is the duty of the media to present the truth in an unbiased manner (“On the run”, May 31). But if the media has to pay a hefty price for doing this, it will be scared to play this role. Unless the media plays its role, people will not be able to make the right choices as they will have partial and biased information. Citizens of countries where journalists are being persecuted must be vocal to save democracy from becoming a meaningless system in the absence of a free press.

Soumyajit Saha, Murshidabad

Caught napping

Sir — It seems that the West Bengal State Council of Higher Secondary Education is playing ducks and drakes with higher secondary education. The council has decided to upload the PDF versions of Bengali, English and Hindi textbooks because they are yet to be printed. Government-aided schools have been told to download the PDFs so that students can be taught in online classes (“PDF files of HS books for online classes”, June 1). It is highly unlikely that the lengthy syllabus can be completed within three months — the semester examinations are in September — that too without textbooks and over online classes. Was the WBSCHSE slumbering for so long?

Shyamal Thakur, East Burdwan

Just critique

Sir — The former prime minister, Manmohan Singh, has been scathing on the incumbent prime minister, Narendra Modi (“Slammed: ‘Narrative of dehumanisation’”, May 31). While campaigning for the recently-concluded general elections, Modi had forgotten to temper his speeches in a manner that behoves the prime minister of a nation. The rap on the knuckles from a former occupant of this high office ought to give Modi food for thought.

Avinash Godboley, Dewas, Madhya Pradesh

Wasteful islands

Sir — Artificial islands being built by China and some Middle Eastern nations add to oceanic pollution. The United Nations must put together a panel to formulate laws against unchecked construction activity in the oceans. The construction of artificial islands leads to environmental disruption and negatively impacts the marine ecosystem, causing biodiversity loss. Moreover, the sand required to build these islands is acquired through dredging, which is harmful for coral reefs.

P.V. Madhu Nivriti, Secunderabad