Sober plot
Sir — Why do people drink? Devdas drank to drown his sorrows, Stephen Dedalus drank to seek poetic inspiration. But why do people drink non-alcoholic beer, gin and so on? Some say it is for the taste, others do it to bond with their peers without having to consume alcohol. Some youngsters even drink these spirits because they are not old enough to drink alcohol yet but would like to experience what it feels like. No-or-low-alcoholic beers, wines, and spirits have a global market of over $13 billion now. One wonders if Devdas would have had a happy ending if he drank non-alcoholic rum instead of the actual stuff.
Surajit Palit, Calcutta
Speak with care
Sir — The Supreme Court of India has rapped judges over the knuckles, asking them to refrain from making “casual observations” that reveal their communal bias or misogyny. Taking suo motu cognisance of video clips featuring the Karnataka High Court judge, V. Srishananda, and his sexist comments to a woman lawyer on two separate judicial proceedings, a five-judge bench headed by the Chief Justice of India, D.Y. Chandrachud, observed that off-the-cuff remarks by judges would show them in a negative light and impact the entire judicial institution adversely. It is imperative for court officials to be gender-sensitised. The judiciary must run without any bias towards any community. Stereotyping a person on the lines of gender, religion or caste will perpetuate harmful inequalities. The arbiters of justice should be mindful of this at all times.
N. Mahadevan, Chennai
Sir — Justice V. Srishananda of the Karnataka High Court calling a part of Bengaluru Pakistan is hardly the first time that an Indian judge has said something objectionable. These days, such comments are noticed because proceedings of the courts are often live-streamed. This is both a bane and a boon — on the one hand, it allows the media to pick up on such misogynist and communal comments by judges, allowing them to be reprimanded. But, on the other hand, the public reads about these comments and it damages their trust in the courts.
Avinash Godboley, Dewas, Madhya Pradesh
Rogue state
Sir — First the pagers exploded, then came the walkie-talkies and, then, Israel launched a massive bombardment campaign targeting Hezbollah, the powerful Iran-backed Lebanese-Shia militant group (“Device deaths”, Sept 20). When Israel launched its Gaza invasion after Hamas’ attack a year ago, Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel in solidarity with the Palestinians. While both sides exchanged fire, they were wary of not letting the tensions spiral into an all-out war. But that caution was abandoned when Israel killed Fuad Shukr, a senior Hezbollah commander, in an air strike on Beirut on July 31 this year. Since then, it has been clear that Israel is targetting Hezbollah. According to Lebanese authorities, at least 575 people, including women and children, have been killed in Israel’s air strikes in just two days.
Israel is making another mistake in Lebanon. A ceasefire in Gaza, which has been overwhelmingly demanded by the international community, would have quietened the northern border. Instead, Israel has chosen to escalate the war with Hezbollah, killing hundreds more and pushing West Asia to the brink of an all-out war. This bellicosity, callousness and total disregard for international law and norms all bear the hallmarks of a rogue state with impunity.
Debjit Dutta, Calcutta
Bowl of goodness
Sir — Bowl by bowl, noodle soup has taken over the world. Call it ramen as the Japanese do or ramyeon like the Koreans, few dishes are as popular as noodles — fresh or instant, curly or flat — in hot broth. Ramen is well on its way to shedding the ‘unhealthy’ tag that has long dogged it in regions beyond East Asia. According to a recent report by the World Instant Noodle Association, more ramen is consumed in India than anywhere else in the world, excluding China and Indonesia. This unprecedented popularity is driven, in part, by the sheer convenience of instant ramen: all that the most basic bowl requires is hot water. Yet, it can also be zhuzhed up with toppings like eggs, chilli oil, spring onions, sesame seeds and so on.
M. Pradyu, Kannur
Curb waste
Sir — Food waste represents one of the most pressing challenges to sustainable global food systems. In India, the situation is concerning. As per the 2022 study of NABARD Consultancy Services, there are significant production losses across all food categories. The consequences of food loss go beyond food itself. Wasted food means wasted resources such as land, water, energy, and labour. As concerns over climate change intensify, the need to curb food loss and waste becomes more urgent.
Zakir Hussain, Kazipet, Telangana
Parting shot
Sir — It is time for India to start preparing for winter pollution. Pre-emptive steps taken now can help alleviate the pollution crisis of the winter months.
Alok Ganguly, Nadia