Twisted logic

Sir — The progressive, urban Indian family no longer asks for or provides a dowry during marriage. But does that mean that this reprehensible social custom has been rooted out for good? Certainly not. The dowry system has given way to a socially-acceptable alternative — the tradition of giving and receiving gifts. The exchange of gifts between the families of the bride and the groom is supposed to be a gesture of goodwill. But often the bride’s family is expected to provide certain kinds of ‘gifts’ that are well beyond their means. Gold jewellery, expensive electronics and furniture are given to the newly-weds to begin their lives. This has only given the practice of dowry a veneer of respectability.

Sayani Guha,
Calcutta

Stiff fight

Sir — Imran Khan has been denotified as the prime minister of Pakistan. Khan was expected to lose the no-confidence motion moved by an alliance of Opposition politicians in the National Assembly when the scales were tilted in his favour. Not only did the deputy Speaker reject the no-confidence motion but Khan was also successful in receiving the presidential nod for the dissolution of Parliament (“IM-RAN Flees trust match, plays for fresh poll”, April 4). This move has been dubbed “unconstitutional” by the Opposition, which has challenged it in the Supreme Court.

Although Khan’s stint as prime minister has been plagued with problems, he was keen on resolving the Kashmir issue with India. Hopefully, the next government in Pakistan will settle this long-standing border crisis. The country should also move away from China and mend its ties with the United States of America.

C.K. Subramaniam,
Navi Mumbai

Sir — No matter what the outcome of the political upheaval in Pakistan, two things will remain the same. Although the Pakistan army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, has stressed on the importance of resolving disputes with India peacefully, it is unlikely that it would be followed in reality. Second, the economic crisis in Pakistan will deepen. The consumer price inflation in Pakistan is over 12 per cent and its currency has lost nearly half of its value in the last few years. If Pakistan’s debt continues to pile up, it could go bankrupt. Pakistan will not be able to resolve these problems anytime soon.

N. Sadhasiva Reddy,
Bangalore

Sir — Numerous democratically-elected governments in Pakistan have been under the shadow of the military. The same was true of the Imran Khan government. Khan’s differences with the army have now led to his downfall. This was not unexpected.

Jang Bahadur Singh,
Jamshedpur

Clear voice

Sir — The executive chairperson of Biocon Limited, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, has shown immense courage by raising her voice against the rising tide of communalism in Karnataka (“Corporate voice against hate”, April 1). Shaw cautioned that the state would lose its “global leadership” in information technology if it allows further marginalization of minority communities.

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in Karnataka must understand that there will be severe economic repercussions if corporate houses withdraw their operations from the state. The government needs to arrest the crisis before it is too late.

Jayanta Datta,
Hooghly

Sir — Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw must be lauded for condemning the marginalization of Muslims in Karnataka. Many corporate leaders do not speak up against
the decisions of the government for fear of retaliation. As expected, Mazumdar-Shaw has been criticized by BJP supporters for her comments. This is unfortunate.

Anthony Henriques,
Mumbai

Another side

Sir — The actor, Will Smith, has resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (“Smith resigns from academy”, April 3). His decision comes on the heels of an unfortunate event during the Oscars presentation where the veteran actor physically assaulted the host, Chris Rock, for cracking an inappropriate joke on the former’s wife.

Smith’s actions have been rightly condemned by many people. However, comedians, too, must think twice before cracking a joke that may hurt someone’s sentiments. Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, suffers from alopecia. It was insensitive of Rock to make fun of her condition.

Ashok Kumar Ghosh,
Calcutta

Licence to grow

Sir — It is a relief that the Border Security Force has agreed to allow farmers in the Dinhata subdivision of Cooch Behar to cultivate jute near the Indo-Bangladesh border (“BSF promise on free movement near border”, April 4). The BSF had prevented farmers from sowing jute seeds in areas near the border fences as the plants reduced the visibility of the border. This had led to discontentment among the farmers. Around 85-90 per cent of the total population is dependent on agriculture in Cooch Behar, which is primarily a jute-growing district. It is heartening that the local administration intervened before the situation spiralled out of control.

Samir Das,
Cooch Behar

Parting shot

Sir — An enormous quantity of plastic bags are used everyday around the world, making it difficult to completely ban its use. However, governments should raise awareness about the hazards of plastic accumulation. People should be encouraged to opt for biodegradable plastic bags or those made of cloth.

Jubel D’Cruz,
Mumbai