Home treasure
Sir — Indians who hoard their precious china, only to bring such treasured crockery out once in a blue moon when guests come over, have now been vindicated. A delicate Chinese porcelain bowl, measuring only 4.5 inches in diameter, recently sold for over $25 million. It turns out that old porcelain items have a steep resale value. This makes a case for the people who are loath to use their dearly beloved bone china and ceramic dishware. While our homely La Opala dinner sets might not have been moulded during the Qing dynasty, they, too, may bring their owners astronomical sums a century later.
Tushar Biswas,Calcutta
Take action
Sir — Ever since the skirmish between Indian and Chinese troops at the Galwan Valley, the Centre’s attitude towards Beijing has been observational (“Flawed approach”, April 14). China has been building transport infrastructure, such as roads and helipads, near the Line of Actual Control. Its objective is to intrude into disputed territories. This cannot be tackled with India’s policy of appeasement. New Delhi should develop proper roads in the border areas to facilitate the mobilisation of troops in case of a war. Otherwise, India might face another humiliating defeat as it did during the Indo-China War of 1962.
Hemanta Sasmal,Howrah
Doubtful system
Sir — North Korea recently launched a missile into the Sea of Japan. This led to the Japanese government issuing the ‘J-Alert’, an early warning system that transmits emergency information the world over and urges residents to evacuate certain areas, in this case, Hokkaido. Since the missile never fell in that area, it has raised several questions about the efficiency of Japan’s information gathering and communication systems.
Khokan Das,Calcutta
New links
Sir — Chennai Metro and Rapido have jointly launched a women-driven bike service for certain stations to encourage women to avail of the Metro. This facility should be expanded to aid passengers who depend on autos to reach the Metro stations. The state can also introduce bus services to and from Metro stations during office hours.
N. Mahadevan,Chennai
Fickle weather
Sir — Indian summers are no longer exciting. Less rainfall and deforestation have increased heat waves in the country. An immediate solution would be to instal rooftop gardens, which can lower the temperature in and around the house. But we need more than such a temporary fix to meet our environmental targets.
Tashi Baheti,Ujjain
Sir — Mumbai recorded the highest maximum temperature in the country in March, adding to the woes of a city already burdened with a fresh wave of Covid cases. We must take precautions to avoid falling sick during this terrible weather. It is advisable to keep the windows open and take frequent baths. Heat strokes have become extremely common.
C.K. Dorai Ramani Suresh,Navi Mumbai
Sir — The India Meteorological Department has forecast a normal monsoon this year. But the private forecaster, Skymet Weather, predicts below-normal monsoonal rainfall owing to the El Nino effect. This should serve as a wake-up call for the government. About 47% of the country’s population is dependent on agriculture. Preventive measures, such as alternative irrigation, crop support, and bolstering the MGNREGA scheme, should be adopted to mitigate the fallouts of a poor monsoon. The Centre should coordinate with the states in this regard.
M. Jeyaram,Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu
