It is shocking to know that tonnes of gold smuggled by transnational networks are making their way into India’s grey market (‘The dark metal’, March 10). Strict action should be taken against people who misuse government schemes that allow import of gold bullion without payment of custom duties. Gold, over the years, has been hoarded for greed and lust. Smuggling thrives when demand is strong. It is a sin and cannot be justified.
During the pandemic, when there was insecurity everywhere, the demand for gold went up. I feel our fixation with gold should end. The Union government should further limit the amount of a gold a person or a family can possess.
Subhash Laxminarayan,
On email.
The gold market in India is one of the world’s largest. I have wondered why diamonds are not as sought after. When it comes to realising a return on investment, gold stands out. Since very little gold is produced in India, most of the metal consumed is imported. So, India should ramp up its gold production like how China has done in the recent times, and limit import of gold. It is shocking to know that we import 800 tonnes of gold each year, while our total annual production is only around 1,000kg.
Tapesh Nagpal,
On email.
The demand for gold and the culture that encourages people to wear it, regardless of their financial situation, have led to gold smuggling. Power, greed, and corruption have opened up new opportunities for people to smuggle goods.
Today, everyone aspires to be wealthy by hook or crook, which is sad.
Praveen Thimmaiah,
On email.
Put an end to sufferings
The interview with Noble Peace laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk serves as a candle in a pitch dark night (‘It is enough to be human to support Ukraine’, March 10). The sufferings inflicted on innocent citizens of a geographically smaller and heavily wounded nation should force Russia to yield.
The fearsome war has stretched beyond the worst-feared duration and unprecedented casualty. People like Oleksandra are real champions of civil liberty and deserve respect. Supplying weapons is not a solution. It will worsen the already combustible situation there. Rather, all countries should strive towards putting an end to human sufferings in that region.
Sachidananda Satpathy,
On email.
Reflects poorly on BJP
The NCP faction, led by Ajit Pawar, and the Shiv Sena faction, led by Eknath Shinde, will have to face the music over the unholy alliance with the BJP (‘Mathematics in Maharashtra’, March 10). It was a wise decision on the part of the BJP to limit the share of seats for these factions. People are really angry at Shinde and Pawar, and it will reflect in votes.
The BJP won 23 of 25 seats it contested in 2019. It will be happy if it retains as many seats this time. The BJP won’t care much for the Shinde faction and the Ajit camp. The BJP has always considered its allies as use-and-throw entities, which reflects so poorly on the party.
If this is how it goes, the BJP should bring a law that states that only two major national parties need to fight the Lok Sabha elections. For a healthy democracy, regional parties need to thrive and do well in Lok Sabha elections.
Gaurav Gautam,
On email.
Don’t settle in Delhi
Delhi is not the right place to settle down; the air quality there is very poor (‘Swollen foothills’, March 10). It feels good to know that so many are escaping Delhi’s population. If every city closer to Delhi sees an influx of climate migrants from Delhi, is it a good sign? Ideally, the government should solve Delhi’s pollution on a war footing. The National Capital Region is accommodating more than what it can. Not just Delhi, most cities in the country are in a dire situation, mainly because of a misguided approach to urban development.
Tomorrow, the same situation could get repeated in southern cities like Bengaluru and Hyderabad, with people flocking to nearby towns. It is always good to retain properties in two places, one in the city, and another in the interior or in the foothills.
Rakesh Krishnan,
On email.
Control the urge
Your article on sharenting was very interesting (‘Turning kids into content’, March 10). I agree that oversharing content about children online can have a lasting implication on a child’s life. There is nothing wrong in sharing your child’s special moments with friends, but it should never become an obsession. For most of us, the ordinary citizens, social media is about staying in touch with people we really care about. So it is important to ensure that only the close circle of people get to see our photographs. There are malicious elements everywhere who are manipulating images, thereby posing multiple risks for the safety of our children. We should be wary of such people.
K.V. Prasad,
On email.
Remarkable talent
The story on a cooking contest for the visually challenged was interesting. It is difficult to imagine that blind people can cook so well. I thought it was dangerous for blind people to cook. (‘Look, I can cook!’, March 10). They may require specialised training to excel in cooking. Some of them would have loved to cook before they lost their eyesight. People like Annpurna Kaur and Navina Gyawali are an inspiration to so many.
Hats off to them for displaying a remarkable talent and persisting against all odds.
Suraj Tyagi,
On email.