Sir — It is no secret that there is no love lost between the president of the United States of America, Donald Trump, and the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi. After the famous slow clap, Pelosi has now grabbed headlines for ripping her copy of the State of the Union speech. It is heartening that even though Trump made a long speech full of lies, turning the address into an opportunity to seek re-election, no one is talking about him. Instead, it is Pelosi who has stolen the limelight. This may be the best way to fight a megalomaniac like Trump.

Roshni Sen,

Calcutta

Violent present

Sir — The mockery of M.K. Gandhi’s idea of satyagraha by the Bharatiya Janata Party parliamentarian, Ananth Kumar Hegde, speaks volumes about the hatred that he harbours within him (Mahatma jibe: Hegde not sorry”, Feb 5). He also described the freedom struggle in the following words: “adjustment, understanding, 20-20 (cricket)”. How does a member of parliament get away after making such remarks? People might have ideological differences with Gandhi or other leaders of the freedom struggle but ridiculing their sacrifices and contributions with such comments is disgraceful. Hegde said his blood boils when he reads history, when in fact he would not have made such derogatory remarks had he actually read history.

Yousuf Iqbal,

Calcutta

Sir — India has a new crop of mahatmas. Pragya Singh Thakur, Giriraj Singh, Parvesh Verma, Anurag Thakur, Ananth Kumar Hegde, Dilip Ghosh are just a handful of those who can lay claim to the title in New India. In fact, India has such a surplus of mahatmas that the prime minister and home minister should seriously consider exporting some of them to countries with a dearth of such leaders. But the first order of business should be awarding the highest honours in acting to the prime minister for his excellent portrayal of the role of a Gandhi-bhakt.

Sukhamay Biswas,

Calcutta

Sir — It is Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy of non-violence that has made him such an abhorred figure in New India. The latest mass protests against the State have largely followed in Gandhi’s footsteps, making it difficult for the State to vilify the young protesters. Worse, the peaceful but powerful protests have inspired many to join those raising their voices against the tyrannical State.

It is thus hardly surprising that Ananth Kumar Hegde has decried the Mahatma. Hegde also said that his blood boils when he reads history. Could that be because in history he sees the divisive ideology of his party stripped of the fake glory that he and his colleagues have tried to wrap it in? Maybe if he paid closer attention to the chapter on Gandhi, he could learn a valuable lesson on how to remain non-violent in the face of blood-boiling injustices.

A.K. Sen,

Calcutta

False facts

Sir — Amidst the rightful uproar regarding the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the National Register of Citizens and the National Population Register, there is a significant process that many have forgotten. Collection of data for the 2021 census will start next year and it will not be surprising if people are sceptical about revealing details about themselves. Census data is often the basis for policymaking; it is also invaluable to socioeconomic studies conducted — both by State and non-State actors — for the betterment of the people.

One of the cardinal rules of objective data collection is the preservation of anonymity. Anonymity must be maintained if people are to report information truthfully, especially information that can be used against them. Otherwise, people will report the information that is most likely to yield a favourable outcome, minimizing risks and maximizing benefits. The State should provide written assurances that the privacy of citizens will be respected while collecting census data. More important, punishment and compensations should by outlined for any breach of this promise.

Ranjini Boral,

Assam