Mind the jab
Sir — Trash talking — players making boastful remarks about themselves and insulting comments against their opponents — is integral to sports. So much so that the act of enraging their opponents by the likes of Muhammad Ali or Michael Jordan was considered an art form in itself. However, its imitation in the online gaming industry has been a cause of concern with many players not being able to differentiate between what constitutes competitive banter and downright toxic insults. Xbox, an online gaming platform, recently instructed its players to refrain from making xenophobic threats. Egotistical politicians, who similarly indulge in badmouthing their rivals during election campaigns, can adhere to this piece of advice as well.
Pranab Basak, Calcutta
Hypocritical act
Sir — In “Role reversal” (Nov 11), Sunanda K. Datta-Ray rightly argues, in the context of the Israel-Palestine conflict, that yesterday’s victim has become today’s vindictive oppressor. The Jewish population, which was persecuted by the Nazi regime, is now encroaching on Palestinian lands.
A parallel of this role reversal has echoes in literature. In William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, Shylock, the Venetian moneylender who was reprimanded by Antonio for his Jewish identity, insisted on a pound of the latter’s flesh after he defaulted on the loan. Jews have historically been treated as outcasts owing to their religious and cultural identity. However, that does not justify Israel’s unlawful occupation of Palestinian territories. Israel must call off the ground invasion of Gaza and respect the two-State solution outlined in the 1993 Oslo Accords.
Sujit De, Calcutta
Sir — The editorial, “A dangerous idea” ( Nov 11), is a careful assessment of the implications of Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza. At present, both Israel and Hamas are
in no mood to agree to a ceasefire or work out a permanent solution to the conflict that has been raging since 1948.
However, what Israel has agreed to is a four-hour daily pause in fighting. But this will not be enough to succour the Gaza residents. The imbalance in their respective death tolls — more than 11,000 Palestinians against 1,200 Israelis — shows that the war is heavily tilted against Palestine. The Benjamin Netanyahu-led government should adopt a more humanitarian approach and stop the carnage of innocent civilians.
K. Nehru Patnaik, Visakhapatnam
Sir — Israel’s continued military assault on Gaza in spite of repeated international calls for a ceasefire is concerning (“Devilish doublespeak”, Nov 13). If Israel presses on with the invasion, it can have disastrous consequences for West Asia. The only world power which can rein in Israel is the United States of America. Unfortunately, the Joe Biden-led administration, despite its rhetoric about ensuring a rules-based order, has come up short in brokering peace between the warring sides.
S.S. Paul, Nadia
Sir — The Abraham Accords, negotiated by the Donald Trump administration in 2020, aimed at normalising ties among Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. However, the treaty has now come under threat with Bahrain recalling its ambassador from Tel Aviv in response to the escalating conflict between Israel and Palestine.
Bahrain has historically been a supporter of the Palestinian cause. The deterioration of ties among the signatories of the Abraham Accords will have repercussions for West Asia and destabilise the world order.
Md. Mofidul Ali, Howrah
Rules flouted
Sir — The three Ps — the police, the Pollution Control Board and the people of Calcutta — have failed miserably to check pollution in the city on the night of Kali Puja (“Violations across Calcutta”, Nov 13). Loud crackers were burst even during the late hours in complete disregard of the curbs instituted by the judiciary. The apex court should initiate a suo motu contempt action against the authorities for failing to comply with the court’s orders.
Amit Brahmo, Calcutta
Sir — The ban on firecrackers placed by the Supreme Court was flouted with impunity across the national capital and elsewhere. Law enforcement officials should be held responsible for their dereliction of duty and for failing to keep the pollution levels under check.
Bhagwan Thadani, Mumbai
Tighter grip
Sir — The Union ministry of information and broadcasting recently released the draft broadcasting services (regulation) bill, 2023, claiming that it will create a new regulatory framework keeping in mind the technological advancements in the sector.
The bill aims to extend the regulatory scope to include OTT content and digital news, which are currently governed by the Information Technology Act of 2000. This will surely empower the government to crack down on free and independent content. The bill has also proposed punitive actions against those defying government orders. This harks back to the restrictions imposed during the Emergency.
Jang Bahadur Singh, Jamshedpur
True leader
Sir — Rohit Sharma’s captaincy of the Indian cricket team is laudable. His leadership skills and his ability to boost his teammates’ morale have ensured the smooth sailing of the team into the semi-finals of the ongoing World Cup. Sharma’s individual performance — a score of 442 runs in eight matches — has been impressive as well. A rerun of India’s World Cup victories in 1983 and 2011 seems imminent at present. The team must do its best to keep up its winning streak.
N. Ashraf, Mumbai
