Wrong picture

Sir — Vogue recently published a cover story that featured the Ukrainian First Lady, Olena Zelenska, posing in a navy blue coat over a long dress against the ravages of war in the country. This is not the first time Vogue has aestheticised a crisis. In 2010, the magazine featured the model, Kristen McMenamy, drenched in and surrounded by slick, black oil as a response to a devastating oil spill. A photoshoot amidst the ruins of an ongoing crisis feels tonally insensitive at best, and callously offensive at worst. There is a hard line separating photojournalism from photoshoots — the Zelenska cover story falls into the latter category. There is real harm in whitewashing the brutality of the conflict in trying to tell a story about a person rather than the war itself.

Roshni Sen, Calcutta

Plot lost

Sir — The vociferous denial by the former minister, Partha Chatterjee, that the money seized by the Enforcement Directorate from his associate’s house beggars belief (“I will name plotters, says Partha”, Aug 1). His denial has come too late after his arrest to ring true. If he is indeed innocent, why did he not deny any involvement at the outset? It is possible that Chatterjee is unhappy with the Trinamul Congress for dropping him and is thus threatening to expose alleged co-conspirators.

Khokan Das, Calcutta

Sir — While it is difficult to believe Partha Chatterjee’s claim that he is the victim of some elaborate plot, it is possible that he was just one of the custodians of the money seized by the ED. The TMC has distanced itself from Chatterjee and the chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, has said that she had no idea about what was going on. It is difficult to take such statements at face value, especially since Chatterjee claims to have full faith in the chief minister.

S.S. Paul, Nadia

Sir — Do not get too close to a drowning person lest you drown yourself, or so goes the adage. Perhaps this is why the TMC has disowned Partha Chatterjee and dropped him from all governmental and party posts. The party is trying to save itself from the ignominy that has followed this scandal.

C.K. Subramaniam, Navi Mumbai

Sir — The sacking of Partha Chatterjee might not be enough to brush aside charges of corruption against the TMC. The party has weathered many storms — the Narada tapes and Saradha chit fund scam hit the party hard, but it won its second term comfortably in 2016; there were allegations of corruption over welfare schemes, but it got a third term last year beating back the Bharatiya Janata Party. The party managed to hold its ground as its matriarch, Mamata Banerjee, stayed above the fray, owing to her reputation for austere simplicity. But that is no eternal guarantee of popularity or public trust. The TMC’s refusal to come to Chatterjee’s defence is proof of that.

S.A.K. Sinha, Gaya

Sir — The fact that a key functionary of the TMC is linked to such an enormous amount of unaccounted wealth speaks to the rot that has set in the party. This goes against the ideals that Mamata Banerjee hopes to represent, not merely within West Bengal but across the country.

Sonia Sardar, Berhampore

Stormy seas

Sir — India is right to be concerned about Sri Lanka allowing China to dock a research vessel at the Hambantota port. China’s presence in the Indian Ocean region is a security concern for New Delhi. China has already been exploiting Pakistan’s dependence on it. If an economically battered Sri Lanka, too, becomes a Chinese ally, relations in Southeast Asia could alter significantly. The bonhomie between the Rajapaksa brothers and China is no secret. The current president, Ranil Wickremesinghe, is nothing but a puppet of the Rajapaksas and is likely to be favourably disposed towards China too. India should make it clear that it will not offer the island nation any help in the future should the latter deepen its ties with China.

M.C. Vijay Shankar, Chennai

Unfurl with care

Sir — The directive to hoist the national flag in every household on Independence Day is heartening. However, once the celebration is over, due care must be taken while disposing of the flags that the government is planning to distribute. Often, after Independence Day and Republic Day, flags can be seen littered on the roads. Patriotism should not be restricted to an occasion or its celebration. Taking care of and respecting the national flag are the duties of any patriotic citizen.

Sadiq H. Laskar, Guwahati

Heed the warning

Sir — All tobacco products manufactured, imported or packaged on or after December 1, 2022 shall carry the textual warning, “Tobacco causes painful death” and those manufactured, imported or packaged on or after December 1, 2023 will say, “Tobacco users die younger.” This will make the packets of tobacco less appealing to the youth. These warnings may seem cliched but they are necessary to battle the scourge of smoking in India.

Divyanshu Garg, Ujjain

Sir — While the proposed changes to the warnings printed on tobacco products are welcome, they are not enough to discourage young people from smoking. Many youngsters buy loose cigarettes and not packets. How will they be affected by these changes? At present, there is a misguided idea — created mostly by films and the media — that smoking is a fashionable activity. This must change. If the media show smoking to be harmful, people will stay away from tobacco.

Aditya Mukherjee, Gurgaon