Gossip is good
Sir — All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. But not all office bosses might agree. A boss at an Indian company recently sent out a notice asking workers to not engage in non-work related conversations during work hours, thereby prohibiting workplace friendships. While maintaining discipline is a sign of professionalism, a workplace devoid of friendly banter can lead to burnout among employees, as was proven during the pandemic. Research has shown that office gossip helps employees navigate anxieties. Instead of issuing such toxic memos, the employer should heed these to increase productivity.
Dhruv Khanna, Mumbai
Free fall
Sir — On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day — observed on May 3 every year — Indian media organisations recognised the contributions of journalists and promised to uphold the values integral to the fourth pillar of democracy. However, this stood in stark contrast to India’s ranking on the latest World Press Freedom Index — it slipped 11 positions to rank 161 out of 180 countries. This implies that only 19 countries, including China and North Korea which have totalitarian regimes, have lesser press freedom than India. This is embarrassing for a country which prides itself as the ‘mother of democracy’. The reason for such a poor performance may be that most Indian media outlets have been toeing the government’s line. The hostile takeover of NDTV — a longstanding independent voice in television journalism — by Gautam Adani serves as an example of how press freedoms are being constrained under the Narendra Modi regime.
Jang Bahadur Singh, Jamshedpur
Sir — It is unfortunate that India’s performance on the World Press Freedom Index 2023 has worsened. The most telling sign of this deterioration is that most Indian dailies have either pruned or stopped their ‘Letters to the Editor’ section, wherein the readers’ grievances against the government are published. Most Indian media outlets now seem to be interested in profit-making with little regard for discussing contrarian opinions that can improve governance.
N. Mahadevan, Chennai
Surprise exit
Sir — The Nationalist Congress Party chief and Rajya Sabha member, Sharad Pawar, has resigned as the party president (“Pawar shocks party with decision to quit”, May 3). Similar to most political parties in India, the NCP is also dynasty-based. Pawar’s exit will spur a power tussle between Pawar’s successors such as his daughter, Supriya Sule, and his nephew, Ajit Pawar. The latter has been eyeing the post of the Maharashtra chief minister. Pawar seems to be keen on playing the kingmaker in the 2024 polls. His relinquishing of the post of NCP chief thus seems to be a gimmick to hoodwink the public.
Sravana Ramachandran, Chennai
Sir — Politics is a game of surprises. The resignation of the political veteran, Sharad Pawar, as the president of the NCP could usher in a new paradigm in the state as well as national politics. The Opposition, which is in complete disarray at the moment, could rally behind Pawar who in spite of not helming a political party is credible enough to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party given his political acumen and years of experience.
R. Narayanan, Navi Mumbai
Perception battle
Sir — The chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, has expressed her desire to participate in a protest against VisvaBharati authorities for their efforts to evict the Nobel laureate, Amartya Sen, from a stretch of his ancestral home in Santiniketan (“Hint of Didi joining protest near Pratichi”, May 3). It would be unbecoming of a chief minister to protest in this manner. The issue is turning into an ugly political fight and should be settled legally.
Arun Kumar Baksi, Calcutta
Sir — Mamata Banerjee participating in a protest for Amartya Sen will cause unnecessary political mudslinging.
Sourja Datta, Calcutta
Fresh escalation
Sir — Moscow has accused Ukraine of attempting to assassinate the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, after neutralising drones aimed at Kremlin (“Russia: Kyiv bid to kill Putin foiled”, May 4). This indicates an escalation in the ongoing conflict. But Ukraine has dismissed the charge, saying that it was a Russian ploy to justify an attack on Kyiv. This cannot be ruled out since Ukraine had been planning a counter-offensive.
Sadiksha Agrawal, Ujjain
Frayed tempers
Sir — The spat between Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir after the Indian Premier League match between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore was unpleasant (“Board mute on Gambhir-Kohli conflict”, May 3). While passions run high in such games, both Kohli and Gambhir should know where to draw the line.
Bal Govind, Noida