Bottled up
Sir — Wine is said to get better with age, acquiring complexity of taste. But research has shown that 99% of wines should be consumed within five years of their production. Wine connoisseurs may thus not be scrambling to Civitavecchia in Italy, where a 2,000-year-old shipwreck was found recently with hundreds of amphorae — Roman terracotta jars used to transport wine — intact inside. Despite Captain Haddock’s insistence that old rum bottles in the wreck of Red Rackham’s ship contained some of the best liquor he had ever tasted, ancient wine is best kept in a museum, not in a rich man’s wine cellar.
Ashok Maity, Calcutta
Unjust extension
Sir — It is disappointing that the Supreme Courthas decided to extend the term of the chief of the Enforcement Directorate, Sanjay Kumar Mishra, till September 15, just weeks after terming his past extensions illegal (“July 11: Illegal. Now: ED boss till Sept. 15”, July 28). That the Narendra Modi-led government has, time and again, used Central agencies like the ED to target Opposition leaders is well-established. The fresh extension granted to Mishra could afford the Centre another opportunity to harass its political opponents ahead of elections in several states this year.
Kamal Laddha, Bengaluru
Sir — The fresh extension granted to the director of the ED, Sanjay Kumar Mishra, sets a dangerous precedent as it contravenes a recent ruling by the same bench of the Supreme Court. The Centre has claimed that Mishra’s presence is necessary for the upcoming review by the Financial Action Task Force. But this seems to be a ruse to target Opposition leaders on trumped-up charges. It is unfathomable that a government with a large cadre of officers should be so dependent on one individual.
S.K. Choudhury, Bengaluru
Sir — The Supreme Court seems to have prioritised the economic well-being of the nation in accepting the Centre’s plea for an extension of Sanjay Kumar Mishra’s tenure. However, the apex court is justified in deriding the Centre for demoralising its officials by insinuating that no one apart from Mishra is competent enough to run the ED. The Centre should announce the name of his successor at the earliest.
K. Nehru Patnaik,Visakhapatnam
Sir — A further extension granted to the head of the ED raises questions about the priorities of the judiciary and reveals the incompetence of the bureaucracy (“What Centre glossed over in SC on ED boss”, July 29). By ignoring other senior officers, the Union government is only promoting stagnation and discouraging accountability. It is crucial that institutions which investigate political figures be kept free from political interference.
Gregory Fernandes, Mumbai
Social inertia
Sir — The article, “In la-la land” (July 28), by T.M. Krishna seems destined to follow in the footsteps of other anguished cries attempting to awaken the middle class from its slumber. I disagree with his claim that movements of social change succeed only when the marginalised join forces with the middle class — the latter has always remained aloof from participation in mass movements, preferring to go about its humdrum routine despite social upheaval. Activism must happen despite the stupor of the middle class.
Sunil Nivargi, Pune
Sir — T.M. Krishna has rightly decried the purported guardians of morality — the middle class. Members of this social class are often found guilty of abusing their domestic workers. They also go to great lengths to keep up appearances. It is time the middle class removes its blinkers.
Anthony Henriques, Mumbai
