ATMs for visually challenged

ATMs for visually challenged
This has a reference to ‘Visually impaired can soon access ATMs’ (January 6). Science and technology have brought some great change for the visually challenged by introducing ATMs which are user friendly for them. This machine will indeed be useful for making their life easier. However, security will be an important factor here. Security personnel deployed at the ATM counters are often seen loitering in the area. One gets to read about many ATM thefts in the newspapers. Banking authorities would do well in securing ATMs for the visually challenged before starting their operations.
—Kishorkumar Ved, via email
 
Preserve Gilbert Hill
Apropos of ‘Notes from a Green Isle’ (January 8) which carries a photograph of some spectacular columns of basalt rock in the famous Giant’s Causeway of Northern Ireland, one is reminded of Mumbai’s own such geological marvels that were there in plenty in the Amboli locality in the 1970s. All of them are gone today, including a hill 87m high, due to extensive quarrying. The Gilbert Hill in Andheri (W) is the only place where such columns, 60m high, can be seen even today, albeit they have started crumbling thanks to the construction activities around them. This hill deserves to be preserved for posterity.
—Dr. V Subramanyan

Focus on Kharghar
This has a reference to ‘NCP demands ring-route bus service in satellite city’ (January 8). It is heartening to note that NCP, the majority party in Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, is demanding a ring-route bus service in Khargar for the benefit of the commuters. The undersigned, in co-operation with NCP corporator Netra Shirke of Nerul, has been asking for a ring route which is bifurcated by the CST-Panvel harbour line into east and west. It will be in the interest of the commuters if the municipal transport authorities survey the demand and home in on a viable proposal.
—RM Deshpande, Navi Mumbai

Limited performance
 ‘If we’re going to lose, why not with younger men?’ (January 8) was frank, forthright and factual. One cannot but endorse the views expressed by the writer when he says that if we have a younger lot in the ranks, they could learn from the beating and do better the next time. How long are we going to depend on ‘Dravid-Sachin-Laxman’? Relying too much on experience is turning out to be non-productive. It is totally wrong to not have groomed new batting talent. Past laurels should not be the passport for a berth in the final XI when young blood is waiting in the wings. Dhoni and Co. performed miserably till now in Australia; as Poonam Pandey tweeted: “Indian batsmen are like faithful husbands, they perform only at home.”
—Prem Menon, Mumbai
 
II
Do Dravid, Sachin and Laxman really deserve to be in the side? When the going is not very tough, they score some runs to stay in the side for next few matches. This clearly shows the lack of determination among these great batsmen. It is time for them to quit the game. Our experts — Ganguly, Gavaskar and Shastri — who backed the team from the hilt now pass on the blame squarely on Dhoni and Co. The so-called pillars of Indian cricket have failed to lift the side from the slaughter at Sydney. Tendulkar failed to click, Dravid dropped catches, allowed the ball to pass through the gate and Laxman was as lazy as before as he failed to boost the morale of the team. Six successive losses to England and Australia are absolutely due to the failure of the seniors. It is time make drastic changes. Perform or perish should be the policy of BCCI.
—S Ramaniam, Navi Mumbai

III
Sumit Chakraberty’s column ‘The joys of watching Sachin Tendulkar miss a century’ (January 7) was blasphemously delicious. If only, more people, especially journalists, had the mental and moral courage to think and say so. Nevertheless, congratulations for a courageous piece, while living in a country of fanatics. 
—Premal Munshi, via email
IV
I guess, by now Sumit Chakraberty must have become the most hated man in India for the brilliant article on the 100th 100. Can we expect our cricketers to finally imbibe some level of team spirit and gamesmanship by watching their Australian counterparts? The Aussies conduct themselves with such supreme sportsmanship that they do not aim for records but think about what really matters —winning. I hope someone forwards it to Sachin to make him aware that we are now getting tired of waiting for his milestone. Or maybe, we could invite Kenya or Ireland for a tour and let him get his century.
—Snehha Reddy, via email
 
Didi’s hidden agenda
The face-off in West Bengal between the Congress and the Trinamool Congress — ‘Cong talks tough with Mamata’ (January 6) is not going to do either the state or the Centre any good. Mamata Banerjee might have ridden on a wave, but she needs to remember that it was an anti-Left wave and not a pro-Mamata one; also, that she just happened to be the most acceptable alternative for the voters. Her behaviour is so redolent of her predecessors that the electorate will get disillusioned. In her enthusiasm to make an impact, she has become arrogant and dictatorial, demanding doles from the Centre while putting pressure on it over issues like FDI in retail, the Lokpal Bill and now, the renaming of Indira Bhavan — something she knows will touch a raw nerve within the Congress. She is not so naive as to be unaware of what she is doing and one wonders whether she has a hidden agenda.
—Suren Abreu