Sir — Every Christmas Day, children in numerous households across the world wake up in excitement to open the gifts that Santa Claus has brought for them. Given the joy that they take in the idea of a jolly, benevolent old man in red bringing them gifts in the middle of the night once a year, it becomes very difficult for most parents to finally break the news to them, once they are older, that he does not, in fact, exist. In such situations, in order to soften the blow, parents should reassure their kids that they can help the spirit of Saint Nicholas endure by being kind, especially to those who are less fortunate than them.

Avril Monteiro,
Calcutta

Brought back

Sir — It is heartening that the Indian national, Hamid Nihal Ansari, who had been imprisoned in Pakistan for many years, has finally returned home to India (“Pak releases Indian prisoner”, Dec 18). Ansari had entered Pakistan illegally through Afghanistan, apparently in order to meet a girl he had met online. His safe return to his family should serve a step towards improving bilateral ties between India and Pakistan, which are always at loggerheads.

This is an ideal opportunity for both countries to take a humanitarian approach towards their prisoners from across the border. Numerous prisoners — including fishermen who had inadvertently strayed into the marine territory of the other country — are languishing in jails in both India and Pakistan. There is little to be gained by either country by holding such people hostage. It only prolongs the sufferings of their families. The prime ministers of both countries, as gestures of goodwill, must release these prisoners and send them back home. Given the striking similarities between India and Pakistan in terms of food, culture, language and history, it is but natural that the ordinary citizens of both nations want peace and friendship.

Ramesh G. Jethwani,
Bangalore

Sir — One wonders why there is such a hue and cry around the software engineer, Hamid Ansari, who was arrested by the authorities in Pakistan in 2012 for illegally entering the nation in order to meet a girl with whom he had developed a friendship online. As he had no legal documents with him, he was rightly arrested on charges of trespassing. Ansari, an adult at the time of the arrest, was well aware that he was committing a crime. Now that he has been released and sent back to India, why is he being made out to be such a hero? The truth is that he indulged in an unlawful act that no nation would tolerate.

Srikanta Bhattacharjee,

Calcutta

Sir — Earlier this year, the Lok Sabha was informed that as many as 7,737 Indians are languishing in jails in foreign countries. In 2016, an Indian citizen who was in a jail in Pakistan for over two decades on charges of spying was found dead in his cell. Hamid Ansari, too, was imprisoned by Pakistan when he entered the country illegally to meet a girl. Even when Ansari’s mother, Fauzia, filed an appeal in a court in Pakistan through an Indian mission there, he was not released; instead, he was tried by a military court on charges of espionage. Consular access was denied to Ansari in spite of repeated appeals. Pakistan has regularly flouted established conventions and practices when it comes to such cases.

Thankfully, Ansari was released after six years. The new prime minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, has expressed his wish to normalize his country’s relationship with India. Perhaps a good way to begin the process would be to release Kulbhushan Jadhav — another Indian national sentenced to death by a military court in Pakistan on spying charges — and send him back to India.

There are enough examples of the misfortunes of citizens in foreign jails, including those in Pakistan. One must take care not to cross international borders without valid documents.

K.V. Seetharamaiah,
Hassan, Karnataka

Hamid Nihal Ansari, who was repatriated by Pakistan after six years in jail, being received by his mother, Fauzia Ansari, at Attari-Wagah border in Amritsar [PTI Photo]

Rude shock

Sir — The actions of the cop who allegedly slapped a woman on Park Street must be strongly condemned (“Park Street executive says cop slapped her”, Dec 20). Police personnel are supposed to be protecting ordinary citizens; moreover, their salaries come from taxpayers’ money. It is appalling to think that an individual tasked with preventing crime could unleash such violence, that too against a woman. Even worse, action against the errant cop by higher authorities seems to be moving suspiciously slowly.

Strict punishment needs to be meted out to policemen like this. The woman who suffered the physical abuse but still stuck to her guns in spite of being put under pressure to withdraw her complaint must be lauded. The chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, should speak to the police commissioner in order to ensure that no cop repeats such behaviour in the future.

Sanjay Agarwal,
Calcutta

Sir — The news report about a woman being slapped by a cop in public in a posh area of the city merely because she tapped his shoulder to attract his attention highlights the kind of rowdy behaviour that some members of the police force indulge in. How do they expect to win the respect of the common people if they act this way? The authorities should waste no time in ridding the force of such policemen.

Asit Kumar Mitra,
Calcutta