Written on the skin

Sir — Tattoos are often taboo in many corporate offices and all government ones. Yet, post-pandemic, tattoo parlours in Calcutta witnessed an upsurge of around 35% in people coming in to get inked. Now that people are having to go back to work, significant time and money will have to be spent on covering up the tattoos. However, offices should reconsider their anti-tattoo stance. After all, a person who can willingly withstand hours of needles being poked into their skin would be an asset for any organisation. Their patience and pain threshold would make them ideal candidates for the corporate world.

Samadrita Ghosh, Calcutta

Lost links

Sir — We have taken nature’s bounty for granted (“Against nature”, Nov 18). There was a time when religion was intricately linked to nature. But that link has long been sacrificed at the altar of human greed and capitalism. It is in this context that Ramachandra Guha’s article on the Iranian-American intellectual, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, assumes importance. It is a must-read to rediscover man’s spiritual bond with nature.

Parthasarathy Sen, New Delhi

Sir — Nature was traditionally seen as the path that connected men to the gods. But egotistic humans have begun to think of themselves as gods. Nature’s importance has thus been forgotten and it is now treated simply as an endless resource to be exploited. Unless we can rediscover nature’s significance in the larger scheme of things, the world will keep hurtling towards perdition.

Anthony Henriques, Mumbai

By the book

Sir — The editorial, “Old times’ tales” (Nov 18), was timely. It is not surprising that people lack knowledge about the Constitution. Political leaders encourage this ignorance for their own benefit. The Constitution must be included as a mandatory part of the curriculum and not merely as a chapter in Civics. The decision of the Karnataka government to make it mandatory to read the Preamble to the Constitution in schools and colleges is thus heartening. But this is not enough. Nevertheless, other states should follow Karnataka’s example. One hopes this will encourage fellow feeling among Indians and teach them about equality.

Ganesh Sanyal, Nadia

Past matters

Sir — The Chief Justice of India, D.Y. Chandrachud, has defended the Supreme Court collegium’s appointment of Lekshmana Chandra Victoria Gowri as a judge in the Madras High Court. He has said that past views — Gowri has been accused of making hate speeches against the minority community — cannot be held against a person, adding that Gowri’s political affiliations were closely examined before recommending her name. The CJI also referred to the political background of the former Supreme Court judge, V.R. Krishna Iyer, before he was called to the bench.

But surely Justice Chandrachud is aware that times have changed. Iyer had never indulged in hate speeches, unlike Gowri who continued to make inciteful statements right up to her appointment. How can such a person be expected to treat people in her court equally?

Tharcius S. Fernando, Chennai

Uncertain future

Sir — The ouster of Sam Altman, the poster boy of the Artificial Intelligence revolution, from the position of the CEO of OpenAI has sent shock waves across the tech world. OpenAI is the manufacturer of ChatGPT, the sensational AI-powered chatbot, which has shaken up the world with its cognitive abilities. Before his unceremonious exit, Altman had asserted that his vision was to make AI safer for humans. One wonders what that means for the future of AI now.

M. Jeyaram, Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu

Easy access

Sir — The e-pharmacy business has been growing exponentially owing to the omnipresence of smartphones. Medicines can now be delivered at the click of a button. This service is especially beneficial for the elderly who cannot always go to the pharmacy physically. But questions are now starting to arise about regulating this sector. The Delhi High Court has directed the Central government to formulate the e-pharmacy policy, which has been pending for five years. The Union ministry of health should ensure fair practices within this industry and issue rules to govern it at once.

Dattaprasad Shirodkar, Mumbai

Danger zone

Sir — Chhat Puja is a big event in West Bengal. It is thus a matter of shame and concern that many of the city’s ghats have been declared as perilous zones. While this may indeed save the river from pollution, the ghats are also an intrinsic part of the daily lives of people. If regular upkeep of the ghats is not carried out, lives will be put at stake.

That being said, the pressure on the few accessible ghats would be greater and the government must ensure a quick clean-up drive after the festivities and rituals are over.

Jayanta Datta, Hooghly