Creative licence
Sir — The mystery of the dinosaurs has always intrigued humans, fueling both popular imagination and scientific research. But a complete picture remains elusive. Recently, scientists hypothesised that dinos might have cooed like doves or bellowed like crocodiles owing to similar skeletal attributes, concluding that they most certainly did not roar. The misconception about the scary roars of dinos has largely been shaped by the Jurassic Park franchise. But if people can expect cheetahs to roar in spite of them being alive and around, can the makers of the films really be blamed for being creative?
Sukanya Majhi, Calcutta
Pros and cons
Sir — The Supreme Court has ruled that owners of cinema halls are entitled to bar moviegoers from carrying outside food and beverages inside the theatre precincts (“Food freedom for halls”, Jan 4). This is a welcome decision. It is important to keep the theatre premises clean. Most moviegoers lack civic sense and tend to litter the seats and the floor after a screening. This makes it difficult for crews to clean up in between two shows. At the same time, it must be admitted that multiplexes sell food and beverages at an exorbitant price. It is imperative that the government introduces a regulatory mechanism to prevent multiplex owners from exploiting moviegoers.
Kiran Agarwal, Calcutta
Sir — The apex court’s verdict upholding the practice of prohibiting outside food and drinks in multiplexes is concerning. The court observed that the cinema hall is not a gym where people need to consume healthy food. Healthy eating should not be discouraged irrespective of where people are. The ruling will embolden multiplex owners to exploit moviegoers further.
N. Sadhasiva Reddy, Bengaluru
Sir — Barring outside food in movie theatres is bound to impact footfall. The pandemic and the proliferation of OTT platforms have reduced community movie viewing by a great extent. Steps should be taken to encourage people to watch films in theatres.
Sravani Mehta, Gwalior
Cautious steps
Sir — Widespread calls for snapping trade ties with China amidst transgressions by Chinese troops at the border must be handled with caution. India is heavily dependent on Chinese imports. As a result, sanctions against China will hurt the Indian economy more than that of China. Sanctions can also aggravate border tensions. A guarded approach is thus the need of the hour. India should also improve its trade relations with other countries to reduce its dependence on Chinese products.
Swati Pandey, Ujjain
Be wary
Sir — Promulgation of corporate regulations has always been responsive rather than preventive in nature. Hearteningly, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission has been taking steps to bring the cryptocurrency market within the ambit of existing financial regulations. In spite of such measures, the collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange firm, FTX, could not be prevented. Although the bankruptcy of FTX was largely owing to lapses in corporate regulations, it raises questions about whether regular audit firms are equipped to inspect crypto-mining companies. The sceptical approach of the Reserve Bank of India towards digital currencies is thus reassuring.
Shovanlal Chakraborty, Calcutta
Growing crisis
Sir — It is alarming that Russia’s war against Ukraine is contributing to widespread starvation, poverty and premature deaths (“Russia’s war worsens global starvation”, Jan 3). The United Nations World Food Programme estimates that more than 345 million people are either suffering from or are at acute risk of food insecurity. The combined effect of war and climate change will lead to long-term crises.
Sukhendu Bhattacharjee, Hooghly
Perilous ride
Sir — The Vande Bharat Express connecting Howrah Junction and New Jalpaiguri was pelted with stones twice within a week of its launch. Unsurprisingly, a political blame game has erupted over the incidents between the ruling Trinamul Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party in the state. The matter needs to be thoroughly investigated.
Ashok Kumar Ghosh, Calcutta
Scientific spirit
Sir — Inaugurating the 108th Indian Science Congress, the prime minister, Narendra Modi, underlined the indispensability of science in making India self-reliant. The world is witnessing a paradigm shift in scientific innovations in the form of Artificial Intelligence, data science and so on. This will impact growth. India cannot remain oblivious to this change. India currently spends a meagre 0.7% of its GDP on research. This must be increased. A scientific temper must also be inculcated in everyday life.
Vijay Singh Adhikari, Nainital