Shameful conduct

Sir —The Academy Awards is one of the most awaited events in the entertainment industry. But this year, the Oscars is in the news not for any noteworthy celebration of cinema but rather because of an unprecedented incident of assault on the event’s host. The veteran actor, Will Smith, physically assaulted the comedian, Chris Rock, for making a joke about the former’s spouse. While Rock must be lauded for calmly proceeding with his duties, the organizers of the show failed to adequately condemn Smith’s action. There are strict laws against assault in workplaces and employers are expected to take action against the perpetrator. Why should this fiasco be treated differently?

Srimonti Guha,
Calcutta

Solitary stance

Sir — The veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader, Nitin Gadkari, has shown that he has a far deeper understanding of politics than his party colleagues by saying that he wishes for the Congress to regain its footing on the national stage (“Sudden love”, Mar 29). Gadkari invoked the tradition of mutual respect by underlining that differences in opinion or ideology should not turn public representatives of Opposing camps into enemies. Unfortunately, the Opposition is not tolerated by the ruling regime.

Other senior BJP leaders, including the prime minister, Narendra Modi, and the Union home minister, Amit Shah, do not feel the same way. Their calls for the total decimation of the Congress has destroyed the democratic fabric of the nation. It is time that senior Congress leaders realized the gravity of the situation and focused on restructuring the organization. The Grand Old Party’s resurgence is important not just for the party itself but for the democratic health of the country.

Sanjay Agarwal,
Calcutta

Sir — Few BJP leaders can think beyond immediate electoral gains. The recent remarks by Nitin Gadkari show that he recognizes the problems plaguing Indian democracy at the moment. But neither Narendra Modi nor Amit Shah shares his sentiments. These two leaders hold the reins of the party and nothing will change unless they say so.

Antara Mali,
Shiuri

Narrow miss

Sir — The Indian women’s cricket team must be praised for putting up a brave fight against South Africa at the ICC Women’s World Cup. Although the Women in Blue failed to qualify for the semi-finals, several players performed well. Unfortunately, Deepti Sharma claimed a wicket in the last over with a no-ball that resulted in a free hit. The South African players made full use of the opportunity and won the match.

The Indian team’s exit certainly comes as a disappointment to the fans. But we must acknowledge that such ups and downs make cricket such an exciting sport. Hopefully, the Indian players will reflect on their shortcomings so that they can perform well in the next tournament. The team should pay attention to its bowling and fielding.

Amit Brahmo,
Calcutta

Sir — It was tragic how the Indian team lost to South Africa at the World Cup. On the penultimate delivery, the South African batter, Mignon du Preez, was dismissed by Deepti Sharma as the former handed a simple catch to Harmanpreet Kaur at long-on. However, the umpire signalled a no-ball — Sharma had overstepped by the barest of margins. Du Preez was back on the field, needing only two runs to win off the final two balls. Although the outcome of the match was heartbreaking for Indian fans, it was still quite thrilling to watch.

Sravana Ramachandran,
Chennai

Sir — The former opener of the Indian men’s cricket team, Virendra Sehwag, has aptly summed up the circumstances leading to the loss of the women’s team at this year’s World Cup. Sometimes, even a minor mistake, as Sehwag said, can wreck decades of hard work. This was certainly true for the Indian team. Nevertheless, the women cricketers should not be disheartened by this setback. Such mishaps are sometimes unavoidable.

Chirasree Banik,
Calcutta

Move away

Sir — Most people around the world own smartphones but it seems that there is now a shift towards simpler devices (“Dumb it down”, Mar 27). Smartphones have made us anxious about constantly responding to calls and messages. Many children use smartphones without supervision — this makes them vulnerable to predators. These devices have also led to an overdependence on technology. As everything is at our fingertips, we no longer bother to retain any information. These are not desirable outcomes of technological advancement.

Kiran Agarwal,
Calcutta

Sound of music

Sir — A recent image of the cellist, Denys Karachevtsev, performing a piece by Bach on the empty streets of Kharkiv brought people to tears. Many other musicians are holding similar impromptu concerts.

In some of the darkest moments in history, human beings have found solace in music. In just a month, much of Ukraine has been reduced to rubble. Historical artefacts and cultural resources have been destroyed in the bombing — a collection of the works of the folk artist, Maria Prymachenko, has been burnt to ashes. The culture of a nation is crucial to the survival of its people.

Nilanjana Bandopadhyay,
Calcutta

Sir — The war in Ukraine has reduced professional musicians to street performers. But rather than lamenting the situation, musicians are now playing not for glory but to unify their bereaved countrymen.

Dia Chakraborty,
Darjeeling