Archive · 1 Oct 2026
Letters Debate Bulk Buying, Elections, Drug Prices And Food Standards
People writing to the newspaper discussed several everyday and political concerns.
One person said stores are offering fewer small packages, making people buy more groceries than they need.
Other writers criticized decisions connected to India’s election authorities and the voter-roll revision process.
Some supported cooperation between political groups that usually compete with one another.
Another writer said journalists who investigate powerful people should also have their methods checked.
Several readers objected to very high prices for cancer medicines in private hospitals.
One letter supported stopping non-dairy products from being sold under the name “paneer.”
Together, the letters show readers asking businesses, politicians, journalists and regulators to be more accountable.
A reader says shrinking package choices are forcing individuals and small households to buy unnecessarily large grocery packs.
Several letters criticize alleged unilateral decisions by Election Commission of India chief Gyanesh Kumar and support legal and political scrutiny of the Special Intensive Revision process.
Other contributors debate cooperation between Mamata Banerjee and the Communist Party of India (Marxist), including whether it can create a broader democratic alternative.
Readers argue that investigative journalism must itself be scrutinized, while others condemn steep markups on medicines sold through private hospitals.
A letter supports restricting the use of “paneer” for products made with vegetable oil, starch and additives instead of milk.
- Who
- The letters are from readers including Noopur Baruah, Deba Prasad Bhattacharya, Mohammad Arif, Aranya Sanyal, Debanjan Banerjee, Sunil Chopra, K. Chidanand Kumar, Jishi. R. and S. Sankaranarayanan; they discuss retailers, election officials, political parties, journalists, hospitals and food regulators.
- What
- The letters address package sizes, the Election Commission of India and voter-roll revision, political cooperation, media accountability, medicine markups and the labeling of non-dairy products as paneer.
- When
- The letters refer to editorials or reports dated September 29 and September 30; the publication date of the letters is not stated.
- Where
- The concerns relate mainly to India, with letters sent from Tezpur, Calcutta, Dhanbad, Siliguri, Hooghly, Ludhiana, Bengaluru, Kollam and Chennai.
- Why
- The writers seek consumer choice, democratic accountability, scrutiny of institutions and journalists, fairer medicine prices and clearer food labeling.
Calls for stronger accountability and regulation
Concerns about choice, scrutiny and political viability
Retail package sizes
Calls for stronger accountability and regulation
Retailers should provide smaller and medium-sized packages so individuals and small households are not forced to overbuy.
Concerns about choice, scrutiny and political viability
The letters do not present a defense from retailers; the concern raised is that consumer choice is being reduced by the disappearance of smaller packs.
Election Commission scrutiny
Calls for stronger accountability and regulation
Critics argue that alleged unilateral decisions, mass voter deletions and centralized electoral-roll data require political and judicial investigation, including possible resignation demands.
Concerns about choice, scrutiny and political viability
The submitted letters do not include a response from the Election Commission of India or Gyanesh Kumar to these allegations, so the claims remain presented from the critics’ perspective.
Political cooperation
Calls for stronger accountability and regulation
Supporters say cooperation between Mamata Banerjee and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) could unite secular and democratic forces against perceived central overreach.
Concerns about choice, scrutiny and political viability
A contrasting letter says the alliance reflects electoral weakness and questions whether younger Communist Party of India (Marxist) leaders can turn public apathy into votes.
- Retail concern
- A reader says small and medium-sized grocery packages are increasingly unavailable, leaving shoppers with family-size options.
- Election issue
- A letter alleges that Election Commission of India chief Gyanesh Kumar pushed major decisions without consensus from the multi-member commission.
- Voter-roll process
- The Special Intensive Revision process has prompted political and legal opposition, including a petition to the Supreme Court of India.
- Political cooperation
- One writer supports alignment between Mamata Banerjee and M.A. Baby as a possible national democratic alternative; another questions its electoral prospects.
- Medicine markup
- One letter cites a cancer medicine sold for Rs 27,000 despite being supplied at Rs 2,700.
- Food labeling
- The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has proposed restricting the use of dairy terms, including paneer, for products containing non-milk ingredients.