Dumbphones, please

Sir — Smartphones are omnipresent in modern life. From communication to education, entertainment to grocery lists, we rely on them for even the most basic tasks. However, experts have warned that a disproportionate dependence on smartphones can impair the brain’s ability to retain information and obstruct the formation of new memories — a disorder known as ‘digital amnesia’. This can leave people struggling to recall information, especially when it is so much easier to google the question. The situation has worsened owing to the pandemic, which increased the presence of technology in our lives. Going back to using dumbphones, which can be used to make phone calls or send messages but not much more, might be a good cure for the addiction.

Dyuti Sharma, Delhi

Great shame

Sir — A known Lashkare-Toiba commander, Talib Hussain, and his accomplice have been arrested by the Jammu police — the former was the mastermind behind the recent IED blasts in the Rajouri district. It has now come to light that Hussain occupied a senior post in the Bharatiya Janata Party even two months ago. Photographs of a man resembling Hussain in the company of the Union home minister, Amit Shah, have been circulated on social media. This has left the saffron party with egg on its face (“Lashkar scandal hits BJP”, July 4).

The BJP has conceded that its online membership process may have led to the induction of members without running background checks. It has also gone out of its way to blame Pakistan for conspiring to kill its top leaders. This seems dubious. The ruling party must come clean on the matter.

S.S. Paul, Nadia

Sir — The ruling dispensation at the Centre never fails to highlight the arrest of those individuals that it deems ‘anti-national’. One wonders how it would have reacted if the LeT commander, Talib Hussain, had purported links with any of the parties in the Opposition instead of the BJP. The retribution would have been unimaginable. That a terrorist had been an appointed member of the party in power is a matter of national shame. The Opposition must keep questioning the BJP to ensure the party takes responsibility.

Jang Bahadur Singh, Jamshedpur

Unfair burden

Sir — The Goods and Services Tax Council has decided to bring several packaged food items, such as milk, curd and puffed rice, within the ambit of the GST. These items will now attract a 5 per cent GST. This move comes at a time when people are already seething as a result of rising costs on account of unprecedented levels of inflation. This decision will add to the burden of the economically weaker sections.

The Reserve Bank of India has hiked its repo rate twice over the past couple of months in order to flatten the inflationary curve. The decision of the GST Council goes against such an effort.

It must be noted that during the Covid-19 pandemic, the economic gap between the rich and the poor widened. The current tax policy is favourable only to the rich. There is a need to overhaul the system in order to ensure equitable taxation.

S.K. Choudhury, Bangalore

Iconic figure

Sir — It was heartbreaking to learn that the veteran film-maker, Tarun Majumdar, has passed away. Majumdar made his directorial debut in 1959 with the Uttam Kumar-Suchitra Sen starrer, Chaowa Pawa. He then went on to direct some of the finest films made in Bengali, such as Dadar Kirti, Shriman Prithviraj and Palatak, which sensitively portrayed the nuances and charms of the middle class. His films will also be remembered for their mellifluous songs and their aesthetic cinematography. Majumdar’s demise has definitely left a void in the Bengali film industry.

Indranil Sanyal, Calcutta

Tilt the balance

Sir — It is said that workaholism can lead to people missing out on the important moments in life. National Workaholics Day, observed on July 5, is aimed at raising awareness about the need to strike a balance between work and life. Rising job uncertainty around the world has ensured that people are competing for limited resources and, as such, feel the need to prioritise work over other things. This can not only lead to failures in interpersonal relationships but can also result in severe health problems. It is thus important to maintain a well-rounded work schedule that allows time for relaxation.

Divya Rana, Ujjain

Joyous occasion

Sir — The Centre Court of the oldest tennis championship, Wimbledon, is celebrating its 100th year. The grounds were first opened in 1922. The lush green grass of the Centre Court snipped to perfection is the image that is often associated with the Wimbledon, which remains the most prestigious among the four Grand Slam tournaments.

The Centre Court has borne witness to several historic moments. The Czech tennis player, Jana Novotna, crying on the shoulder of the Duchess of Kent after losing to Steffi Graf in the 1993 Wimbledon final is among these. The Centre Court is as old as the game itself. One longs to see more such memorable moments created there.

Ranganathan Sivakumar, Chennai

Sir — It was enchanting to see two of the greatest male tennis players, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, take part in the centennial celebrations of the Centre Court during this year’s Wimbledon. Federer has won the Wimbledon title eight times — a men’s singles record — while Djokovic has won it six times. The tennis lawns of the South Club courts in Calcutta are considered as a faithful replication of the Centre Court.

Ashok Kumar Ghosh, Calcutta