The situation’s going down the drain
While everybody talks about polluted air and dying animals, nobody seems to care about the pitiable state of our water resources. Industries are spoiling our water bodies by dumping waste in them, there is a scarcity of water almost everywhere in India, the ground water level is dipping and the authorities are far from alarmed about it. With urbanisation, the problem has gone from bad to worse. A shortage of water also means less electricity. So, on World Environment Day this year, let us all pledge to conserve our water resources before the matter goes out of hand.
Sukanta Kar, via email
Say no to smoking, yes to life
This is with reference to the editorial In a puff of smoke (The Pundit, June 2). Smoking in public has been banned since October 2, 2008. But the authorities haven’t bothered to check whether it is being properly implemented or not. So, the purpose behind the ban is lost. We don’t want the new pictorial warnings on cigarette packets to meet the same fate. But the question is: do we really need laws and bans against smoking? Isn’t it common sense that smoking is injurious to the health? What we need is awareness and not warnings.
CM Advani , Lucknow
II
The views of the Health Minister on smoking seem baseless. He doesn’t have any problem with on-screen smoking because movies, as he says, are only for entertainment and, so, shouldn’t be taken seriously. Everybody knows that banning smoking in movies alone will not help solve the problem. The idea is not to show anything that might encourage the audience to copy it in real life. The minister should deal seriously with the matter. The move to carry pictorial warnings against the hazards of smoking on cigarette packets is appreciable. We hope he uses more novel ways to curb smoking.
SR Gandhy, via emaili
India shouldn’t fear the dragon
I agree with Amit Baruah when he states that India should not fear its eastern neighbour in Stop whining about China (Line of Sight, June 2). More than any other country, China has successfully managed to gain strategic advantage against the US. The ongoing economic recession, which has affected the US greatly, has worked in China’s favour. It is true that the US, and not India, should feel scared of China’s ascent. We must first put our act together and resolve our internal crises. And if the government still feels that a threat from China cannot be negated, it should stop whining about it and prepare itself against any eventuality.
Ashwani Sharma, Ghaziabad
India shouldn’t fear the dragon
I agree with Amit Baruah when he states that India should not fear its eastern neighbour in Stop whining about China (Line of Sight, June 2). More than any other country, China has successfully managed to gain strategic advantage against the US. The ongoing economic recession, which has affected the US greatly, has worked in China’s favour. It is true that the US, and not India, should feel scared of China’s ascent. We must first put our act together and resolve our internal crises. And if the government still feels that a threat from China cannot be negated, it should stop whining about it and prepare itself against any eventuality.
Ashwani Sharma, Ghaziabad
Punish the racists
This is with reference to The fall of the larrikin by Samar Halarnakar (Maha Bharat, June 1). The attacks on Indians in Australia are worrying. What’s worse is that the Australian government seems unwilling to take any action against the culprits. The Indian government should act firm and demand action against those who attacked our children.
Alok Kumar Mishra, Jamshedpur
A matter gone off track
Apropos of the story Khusropur falls off rail map, mob torches train (June 2), the manner in which an angry mob burnt three trains is wrong and should be condemned. People are making unreasonable demands. We cannot have a railway station where people want it to be. What is the use of having super fast trains if we want stations after every 5 km? The blame goes to railway ministers who, in order to appease people and get their votes, make unrealistic promises and put the blame on other ministers later. This incites people, who then damage public property.
GK Arora, Delhi