Spring in the air

Pedestrian needs
The write-up ‘The harried pedestrian fights back’ (DNA, March 10) was an interesting read. It was encouraging to see that there is someone to fight for the padyatri.

I support this movement. There is a need for more pavements, as the story suggests. The basic problem is the lack of enthusiasm on the part of our civic authorities for keeping footpaths and pavements clear of encroachments.

No one can deny that it is the job of the MCGM and they have failed at it. It would also be interesting to know how much of the city’s pavements and pedestrian area is encroached upon by our very own MCGM for their various offices, godowns, and stores which started as temporary structures but become permanent. I’d suggest we have them removed as a first step.
—MR Singh, via email

A fresh start
The Gandhi scion is reported to have expressed his disenchantment with the Congress party for lacking inner party democracy.

In the ‘70s Indira Gandhi had arrogated all powers to herself, thereby making a mockery of all the democratic institutions of the state.

She surrounded herself with courtiers. In this atmosphere, the Congressman underwent an evolutionary change and become an invertebrate.

Today a Congress party member is more or less a robot unable to think independently. So, instead of wasting his time in cleaning this Aegean stable, Rahul Gandhi should start a new party of youngsters who swear by value-based politics and avoid sycophancy.
—V Venkatasubramanian, Mumbai

A national disaster
One is at a loss to describe the present state of Indian hockey. After a few days everything will be forgotten and hockey will once again be relegated to the position it now finds itself in.

The biggest culprit in Indian hockey is KPS Gill. He has been at the helm of affairs for many years and no amount of criticism will succeed in evicting him. That is because our government has been a mute spectator for all these years.

Our prime minister is quick to congratulate the Indian cricket team on its success, but has he or the union sports minister bothered to find out what ails Indian hockey, which is our national sport?

The sports minister, Mani Shankar Aiyar says the government can do nothing as the IHF is an autonomous body.  But it is the government’s duty to take remedial measures. It’s high time we rescue Indian hockey.
—Tony F Lobo, via email

A hard life
It is very difficult for females to live in a male-dominated world. Everywhere we see males from 10 to 80 trying to impress the females.

Many males cross their limits and the attempts to impress end up as molestation. The males have always specified boundaries for the females on what they should wear, how they should speak, and in general, how they should live their lives.

It is due to the male’s inferiority complex that they impose such rules and boundaries on the females and force them to follow a code of conduct. It is time the females get the same liberty like the males without any restrictions or limits.
—Bhavesh Chandrakant Jani, Mumbai

Spring in the air
For years, letter-writers to newspapers followed a quaint tradition of reporting sound or sight of the first cuckoo, to herald the arrival of spring.

The Indian newspapers have stopped doing so only recently. It is with pleasure then that I report that a cuckoo — the Indian koyal — called incessantly outside my window in suburban Mumbai early yesterday morning, and then again in the evening.

Spring is officially here, though of course the temperatures have already told us that.
—Reema Barua, via email