Sir — This refers to the editorial, “Goodbye, lenin” (March 8). The bulldozing of the statue of lenin in Tripura and the vandalisation of the statue of Dravidar Kazhagam leader Periyar EV Ramasamy in Tamil Nadu is bound to create tension and unrest. Statues are supposed to be erected as a mark of respect to the leaders. Those erecting statues forget them after photo-ops and publicity. It is high time we shed the culture of statues if we want to respect them. Democracy is largely defined as a rule by the people, of the people and for the people. If this is followed in true spirit, we can enjoy the success of democracy in society in its truest sense.