Sir — Rumour has it that Archie, the teenage heartthrob, is set to lose his crown. The two girls who have been vying for his attention have apparently moved on. Betty and Veronica, whose inimitable antics have entertained readers, for years, are allegedly set to get romantically involved with each other. Comics are known to cater to largely male audiences. Even women have a hard time making a place for themselves, unless it is for the purpose of misogynistic jokes. The inclusion of alternative sexualities is thus quite a breakthrough. This is a plot twist that readers will look forward to.

Ranjini Banerjee,
Calcutta

True festive spirit

Sir — It is heartening to know that villagers in the Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu have refrained from bursting firecrackers during Diwali for several decades. The district is home to the Vettangudi Bird Sanctuary and deafening sounds, dazzling lights and fireworks are a nightmare for the birds. Owing to the loud explosions, birds leave their nests in the dark of the night and many of them never come back. It throws their life completely out of gear.

The villagers of Sivaganga thus celebrate the festival without crackers. They are an inspiration for the whole country.

Tushar Anand,
Patna

Sir — In a bid to curb noise pollution, the West Bengal Pollution Control Board has decided to slap stricter penalties on those who violate noise norms during Diwali. It is often the case that gates of high-rises are locked from the inside on Diwali and by the time police gain access, all signs of crackers are cleared. It is thus heartening that this year, nearly 200 representatives of housing complexes and high-rises in the city were called to a meeting where they swore before the WBPCB and the police to comply with the norms. Significantly, it was also decided that drones will be used to monitor the bursting of crackers. Hopefully, the measures will address the problems that ail the city each year. The best way to celebrate Diwali is to share happiness with one and all and cause no harm to humans, animals and the environment alike.

Khokan Das,
Calcutta

Sir — Last year, during Kali puja and Diwali, the incidents of bursting crackers had reached alarming levels in Uttarpara. Yet, there was seemingly little effort on the part of the police to nab the culprits. The elderly suffer as the loud sound of crackers causes anxiety. Unless the police seize illegal, noisy crackers at the point of sale, these will continue to be sold and the problem will continue unabated.

Ajay Kumar Deb Biswas,
Hooghly

Sir — I find a marked improvement in the approach of WBPCB. It now has a sense of urgency in combating the high levels of pollution during Diwali. First, it has launched the Paribesh mobile application through which people can interact and complain about garbage accumulation and get prompt remedial action. WBPCB is also holding frequent meetings with environmentalists, NGOs and academics to obtain their valuable inputs. One such meeting was held with office-bearers of multistoried housing complexes who were sensitized about the latest regulations and the penalties associated with these. One hopes this year, Diwali will be a pleasant experience for all and not just a handful.

K.S. Adhikari,
Calcutta

Sir — Diwali is meant to be the festival of lights and not sound. Why then is any request to refrain from bursting firecrackers instantly connected to a religious agenda? Of the many mythical reasons that Diwali is celebrated — the return of Rama to Ayodhya after 14 years in the forest is one of these — not one event took place at a time when gunpowder had been invented.

Even if there had been a precedent for bursting crackers in some myth, is it not the nature of religion to evolve with the times? Pollution is an evil that even the gods would have struggled to defeat given the number of silly people who seem to be on its side.

Roshni Sen,
Calcutta