Refreshing drink
Sir — A local brewery in Singapore recently collaborated with the national water agency to make a oneof-a-kind beer, NewBrew, by recycling toilet water. Its resemblance to regular beer is such that even tipplers have not been able to tell the difference. Manufacturing NewBrew is meant to educate the people of Singapore — it lacks freshwater resources — on sustainability. Other countries facing water crisis, such as India, can take inspiration and recycle this precious resource too. After all, if quaffing gau mutra does not make people flinch, a drink prepared scientifically should have takers as well.
Mithila Bakshi, Delhi
Speak carefully
Sir — It is heartening that the Supreme Court has come down heavily on the suspended Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson, Nupur Sharma, for her derogatory remarks about Prophet Mohammed. The government has failed to take stringent action against Sharma. The observations made by the apex court were, thus, a necessary intervention (“Court says what PM should’ve...”, July 2).
Additionally, the court castigated news channels that hosted Sharma on panels to discuss a matter that was sub judice. It has also raised concerns about the special treatment meted out to Sharma by the Delhi police, which has not arrested her yet. It is hoped that the remarks of the apex court will prod the authorities to take action against Sharma.
S.K. Choudhury, Bangalore
Sir — A tailor from Udaipur was hacked to death by two assailants, allegedly for his post on social media supporting the former BJP spokesperson, Nupur Sharma. Such incidents must be condemned (“Hate killing in Udaipur, call for PM to speak up”, June 29). India has witnessed a rise in hate crimes. This is the result of the widespread religious polarisation and communal hatred being propagated in the country. The ruling regime must ensure that its leaders do not make comments that might lead to social unrest.
Tharcius S. Fernando, Chennai
About turn
Sir — Some of the recent rulings of the Supreme Court of the United States of America highlight the regressive legacy of the former president, Donald Trump. First, the court upheld citizens’ right to carry firearms in public. Second, it overturned the Roe vs Wade judgment, which legalised abortion in the country. Now it has limited the power of the Environmental Protection Agency. This has dealt a body blow to the efforts of the current president, Joe Biden, to have an emissions-free power sector in the US by 2035.
These judgments were made possible because of the present composition of the Supreme Court — out of the nine judges, six are conservatives and three of them were appointed by Trump. The top court is likely to overrule many progressive precedents in the future.
Jang Bahadur Singh, Jamshedpur
Fragile region
Sir — It is unfortunate that at least 24 people have been killed and around 38 are still missing after heavy rainfall triggered a landslide at an under-construction railway station in the Noney district of Manipur. Most of the deceased were part of the 107 Indian Territorial Army, which had been deployed for the railway project. The station is meant to boost connectivity within the state. But landslides are common in the region and authorities should carry out extensive geological surveys before proceeding with the work. Nothing is more important than people’s lives.
Jayanta Datta, Hooghly
Sir — The landslide in Manipur is a result of undertaking developmental projects in the Northeast without keeping in mind its fragile ecology.
Sahil Deka, Guwahati
Letters should be sent to: 6 Prafulla Sarkar Street, Calcutta 700001 ttedit@abp.in
