Sir — In its annual audit, Break Free From Plastic has revealed that Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Nestlé are the top plastic polluters in the world for the third time in a row. Coca-Cola plastic bottles — the biggest offender of the lot — were found discarded in 51 of the 55 nations that were surveyed. While several corporations have claimed to be working towards reducing plastic waste, their actions are clearly not enough. Unless governments strictly implement environmental laws, the situation will only take a turn for the worse.
Apurba Dasgupta, Calcutta
BUNCH ONE: Headline: Call to action
Sir — A nationwide strike called by the farmers’ unions protesting against the three contentious agriculture bills indicates that the struggle against the Centre’s draconian legislations is intensifying (“No coercion on today’s bandh”, Dec 8). With almost all Opposition parties backing the Bharat bandh on Tuesday and many announcing parallel protests in support of the farmers, life came to be partially paralyzed in several big cities including Delhi. However, the response remained lukewarm at best in Mumbai.
The trader’s body, the Confederation of All India Traders, and All India Transporters Welfare Association announced that markets across the country, including in Delhi, were to remain open in spite of the strike and that the transport sector would function as usual. The reason cited by the two bodies is that neither farmer leaders nor associations have approached them seeking their support on the issue. Such contentions between the organizations not only defeat the purpose of a bandh but also make life difficult for certain sections of the population without reason. The call for a strike during a pandemic should have been well thought out.
C.K. Subramaniam, Navi Mumbai
Sir — It was good to see that the Bharat bandh called by farmers protesting against the three new farm laws — they were passed by Parliament in September earlier this year — was observed relatively peacefully throughout the country. The farmers, especially from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, are fighting for a total repeal of the three laws which they fear will further marginalize them. So far the Centre has refused to budge on its position. Hopefully both sides will be able to reach an amicable solution soon, and the Centre, at the very least, will ensure that the farmers receive a just minimum support price for their produce.
N.R. Ramachandran, Chennai.
Sir — Hartals and bandhs have become a part of our daily life. All political organizations, irrespective of their ideological leanings, announce strikes quite often in protest. While it is their Constitutional right to air their grievances and protest in the form of hartals, political parties as well as other associations must always ensure that strikes remain peaceful.
Strikes can be inconvenient for the common people in more ways than one and can also lead to immense financial losses. One report puts the estimated financial loss suffered by the Indian economy as a result of the nationwide bandh at Rs 32,000 crore. At a time when our economy has entered technical recession, any financial loss will only add to the miseries of the common people. The Centre must meet the demands of the protesting farmers. It is shameful that in an agricultural nation like ours, farmers have to struggle for months on end to get their concerns addressed.
Jubel D’Cruz,Mumbai
BUNCH TWO : Rising star
Sir — The journey of Thangarasu Natarajan from a nondescript village of Chinnappampatti in Tamil Nadu to the cricket fields of Australia is truly remarkable (“Natarajan shines”, Dec 3). The left-arm pacer stole the limelight during this year’s Indian Premier League with his consistent performance for Sunrisers Hyderabad. He then went on to make his mark at the final one-day international against Australia by picking up two crucial wickets. Natarajan’s rise to prominence from his humble beginnings makes him a player to look out for.
Ranganathan Sivakumar, Chennai
