Sir — At this time of great crisis, it is of utmost importance for those of us with means to not only help our fellow citizens, but also contribute towards ensuring that the stray animals in our neighbourhoods have enough food, water and access to medical help if required. Street dogs and cats are usually dependent on the kindness of human beings for their daily meals; at this time, with households rationing supplies, these creatures are in great danger of starving to death. It is our duty to think of them as well as of ourselves. Apart from donating to credible animal rights organizations, families who live in comfort should also leave food and water outside their houses for the dogs and cats in their neighbourhood.

Arshia Mahadevan,

Calcutta

Low point

Sir — It was shocking to read about, and see the pictures of, a group of daily wage workers stranded in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, being sprayed with ‘disinfectant’ by health workers (“Migrants sprayed with chemical”, March 31). This act was inhumane. The hapless group, treated like cattle in this manner, even included children. The incident shows our society’s deep-rooted prejudice against the poor. Would the authorities have dared to take a similar approach towards people flying into the country from overseas?

India will never prosper until it sheds its neglectful and indifferent attitude towards the poor. The economist, Abhijit Banerjee, implied in a recent interview that the failure of the administration to provide proper information to the daily wage workers with regard to the spreading disease caused them to panic and set out for their villages in such large numbers. The chaos could have been avoided if the government had put proper guidelines in place and made adequate arrangements for the workers. Instead of giving the latter shelter and money to buy food, the government is spraying them with bleach.

Shovanlal Chakraborty,

Calcutta

Sir — At a time when the need for empathy and fellow-feeling is greater than ever, it is deeply distressing to see the manner in which migrant workers trying to reach the safety of their homes were treated by the Uttar Pradesh government. Instead of being sprayed with bleach, they ought to have been given food, shelter and, most important, hope.

Sharmistha Dhar,

Calcutta

Sir — It is clear that the government has very little idea about the manner in which the Covid-19 virus should be tackled, or about the methods required to protect people from it. It is heartening, thus, that the Supreme Court has asked the UP government to file a status report on the steps being taken to provide succour to thousands of immigrants headed for their native places. The UP administration had sprayed more than 50 migrant workers in Bareilly — they were returning from Delhi, and included children — with a chemical solution.

There are a number of humane ways in which the group could have been tested for the disease and made to take precautions. More important, they should have been given food, water and shelter. Those responsible for the chemical spraying should be penalized heavily. While the pandemic might end eventually, there is little doubt that the casualties caused by starvation will outnumber the deaths on account of the disease.

Asit Kumar Mitra,

Calcutta

Sir — It was horrifying to see pictures of a group that included women and children being sprayed with chemicals. They were reportedly told that they would be provided with food as well as buses to go home. They were, instead, treated like dirt; a sanitizing team sprayed them with a diluted mixture of sodium hypochlorite. How could the UP government allow human beings to be sprayed with chemicals? Some of them have allegedly fallen ill. Those in power that gave this order must be heavily punished.

Asim Suhail,

Mumbai

Sir — I was deeply saddened to see the way in which a group of labourers were made to sit at the Bareilly bus stand and sprayed with chemicals. The UP government had no right to subject them to such humiliation just because they are poor. Strict action should be taken against the government officials who ordered this exercise.

Hafiz Ibn Suhail,

Lucknow