Gender penalty
Sir — Welcome to Corporate India where a woman’s pregnancy plans have become an item on the hiring agenda. In a recent incident that caused furore on social media, an interviewer asked a newly married job seeker whether she planned to have a baby soon. Such intrusive questioning exposes the prejudice that women continue to face in workplaces. Treating parental leave as a shared, gender-neutral, social responsibility rather than an exclusively female liability is the only way to dismantle this gatekeeping. The incident underscored why workplace feminism is a structural necessity. True professional equality requires evaluating a woman’s career by her talent, drive and performance, not by her personal life choices.
Riya Mahato,Hooghy
Deadly crush
Sir — Heavy rain and massive crowding triggered a deadly stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durgotsab pandal in North Calcutta on Saturday evening, leaving at least 19 people dead and 25 injured (“Crushed: 19 lives, festive joy”, Oct 18). As a sudden downpour drove people closer to the exit further inside the pandal for shelter, opposing crowds tried to exit, creating panic and a crush near the narrow, unevenexit stairs.
Furious visitors and locals blamed the organisers for misleading announcements and the delayed arrival of the police and ambulances, forcing people to ferry the victims in private cabs. The authorities have since closed the pandal, arrested seven committee and security personnel, and ordered a high-level inquiry.
Bhagwan Thadani,Mumbai
Sir — The disaster at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durgotsav pandal occurred when hundreds became trapped in a narrow, curved exit that had been closed due to rain (“Tragic start”, Oct 19). State governments have often responded to such disasters by appointing inquiry committees and offering compensation, but the resulting safety recommendations are rarely implemented and the organisers seldom face accountability.
To avert such tragedies in the future, the courts must intervene to establish strict norms for festival pandals, mandate proper administrative verification of all structural and crowd-management arrangements before allowing public entry and ensure severe penalties for any deviations.
N. Mahadevan,Chennai
Sir — A tragedy of the magnitude of the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durgotsav pandal stampede has never occurred during the Trinamool Congress rule. During its tenure, police, civic authorities, and volunteers controlled crowds efficiently during Durga Puja. According to past statistical data, stampede deaths are common at religious gatherings. Announcing compensation while blaming the weather conditions for the tragedy is a childish response from the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Bengal. The government must take strict action against those responsible for this sheer negligence and ensure that such tragedies are prevented in the future.
M.C. Vijay Shankar,Chennai
Sir — Criticism has been mounted against the administrative capability of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari following the stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durgotsab pandal. Adhikari’s first major test in overseeing Bengal’s premier festival has ended in disaster.
The allegations that the transition from the TMC to the BJP administration has changed only political branding seem legitimate. Student militancy, extortion, and general lawlessness persist in the state. The chief minister has called off government-organised events related to the Durga Puja, announced a fact-finding committee and a special investigation team headed by a sitting judge of the Calcutta High Court, and handed over 25 lakh rupees in compensation and promised government jobs to the victims’ families.
S. Kamat,Mysuru
Sir — The organisers of the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durgotsav should be punished strictly for failing to manage the crowd efficiently, which led to the major mishap and turned the joy of Durga Puja into deep sorrow for many families.
Piyush Somani,Guwahati
Fuel hypocrisy
Sir — The president of the United States of America, Donald Trump, announced on social media that following a highly successful discussion with Vladimir Putin, his Russian counterpart, Russia had agreed to immediately supply more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel fuel to the US and global market.
The US banned imports of Russian oil and gas in 2022 under the then Joe Biden administration in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Global fuel prices have surged as a result of both the war on Iran by the US and Israel and Russia’s continuing war on Ukraine. Trump’s willingness to buy Russian fuel reflects his concern about bringing down diesel prices before the mid-term elections in November.
Khokan Das,Calcutta
Sir — Donald Trump’s policy shift on the purchase of Russian fuel exposes the height of hypocrisy. While the US has justified easing restrictions to protect American truckers, farmers, and ranchers, it denies other nations the same economic safeguards (“Duplicitous”, Oct 13). India is justified in maintaining that energy security is a sovereign priority. Trump’s double standard is not only a diplomatic embarrassment but also undermines the legitimacy of the sanctions regime.
Bal Govind,Noida
Sir — The US has repeatedly accused India of funding Russia’s war by purchasing its crude oil. But Donald Trump has now made a U-turn by striking a deal for Russia to supply diesel to the US and global markets to ease fuel prices. This exposes a stark double standard.
S.S. Paul,Nadia