What’s in a name

Sir — Scientific studies have shown that humans have a tendency to name the things that they care about. But could naming something kindle sympathy for it? Last year, Jane Goodall, an anthropologist, advocated naming trees to encourage flora conservation. In fact, a Calcutta suburb tried out similar exercise around six years ago by hanging ‘identity cards’ on trees, depicting their local and scientific names and their contribution towards preventing climate change. Given the urgent need for India to preserve its tree cover, now would be a good time to try such an approach on a larger scale.

Prashanta Guha,
Calcutta

Draw a line

Sir — Fake news has become a significant problem in India (“Relentless struggle”, Nov 10). The blame for this cannot entirely be fixed on the government. Unfortunately, in the last few years, social media has played a big part in shaping public discourse. Although there have been attempts by policymakers to impose certain rules on social media platforms, nothing concrete has been done towards holding them as well as their users accountable.

Responsible users of social media have repeatedly raised the issue of reviewing and amending existing laws to meet the challenges posed by fake news. But such efforts — both by policymakers and civil society — have not been enough to address the lacuna within the digital space.

Ranganathan Sivakumar,
Chennai

Sir — As the print media, known for its veracity, makes way for digital media and established newspapers face the twilight, there emerges a gap in proper news reporting. This is being filled by the ‘creation’ of news. Without critical vetting, most news is likely to be fake and sponsored. With time, the line between factually correct and fake news will get blurred and the resultant gray area be usurped by social media.

Technology generates information at high speed that is instantly disseminated, pushing us into an era of uninspired reportage as erudite columnists are dethroned by the Twitteratti. This also engenders online trolls, whose activities, while transient, leave a lasting mark. Governments also use compliant media for propaganda. The reader’s lack of scrutiny helps such media abandon its true calling.

R. Narayanan,
Navi Mumbai

Sir — Fake news is not a recent phenomenon but lately its impact has become disastrous. In a Post-Truth society, fake news captures attention and manipulates people’s emotions. With the ever-expanding empire of social media, the resistance against fake news must come from society at large.

Prashkandan Sengupta,
Calcutta

Begin again

Sir — Rohit Sharma is all set to take over as the captain of the Indian men’s Twenty20 International team from the upcoming series against New Zealand, with Virat Kohli stepping down from T20I captaincy (“Rohit era begins with exit of laggards”, Nov 10). Sharma, known for his hard hitting, made his debut for the national team in 2007, initially playing limited-overs cricket before being included in the Test team in 2013. He also captained Mumbai Indians to victory in the Indian Premier League five times.

Shashank Patil,
Ujjain

Sir — Given the recent performances of Team India, one hopes that the replacement of Virat Kohli by Rohit Sharma will usher in good luck for the Indian side. Sharma has proven his mettle in this format; his prowess as a leader cannot be questioned either.

Dhiman Dey,
Delhi

Bold statement

Sir — The statement made by the Malayalam teacher, Lisa Pulparambil, by wearing a mundu and a shirt — traditional male clothing in Kerala — on Kerala Piravi day is justified (“Jeans scowl? Lisa wraps it up in style”, Nov 5). It is a silent protest against societal scorn towards gender-neutral dressing.

Kerala is perceived to have a progressive society. It is, therefore, surprising when questions about women’s attire are raised in that state. Attire is a matter of personal choice and should not be controlled by society.

Kiran Agarwal,
Calcutta

Pay attention

Sir — A few days ago, Indians were jubilant about 100 crore Covid-19 inoculations. However, only around 30 per cent of its adult population has been fully vaccinated, while just 74 per cent has received a single shot. Even now, more than 11,000 new Covid cases are being logged per day. This is perhaps because the government’s focus has shifted to the inoculation of children and adolescents. It would be unwise to be complacent at this time.

Seetharam Basaani,
Hanamkonda, Telangana

Sir — The relaxation of Covid norms in Europe has now led to a surge in cases. India should learn from this and ensure that Covid protocol is stringently upheld even if the number of active cases has dipped.

Senjuti Roy,
Calcutta

Parting shot

Sir — One key takeaway from the ‘blockbuster listing’ of Nykaa on the stock market is that an entrepreneurial journey can be started irrespective of one’s age; conviction about one’s idea and determination are all that is needed. With more than 50 per cent stake in the company, Falguni Nayar, has proved her worth.

It is incredible that 47 per cent of her staff comprises women employees. Not only has she broken the glass ceiling, she has also helped others do it. She has truly become an inspiration for women entrepreneurs.

Bal Govind,
Noida