Snapped ties

Sir — The motto of the scouts’ movement exhorts members to be prepared to face any eventuality. But climate change seems to be a problem that they cannot prepare for. A record-breaking heatwave and an oncoming typhoon have forced authorities to evacuate tens of thousands of children from the campsite of the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea (“Scout jamboree”, Aug 8). Some countries pulled out after hundreds of participants fell ill due to unbearable outdoor temperatures. While the essence of the scouts’ movement has always been to reconnect with nature and learn about the environment, it is unfortunate that global warming and extreme weather events are threatening to snap the connection between the scouts and nature.

Anjana Sarkar,
Calcutta

Lessons learnt

Sir — The steps taken by Calcutta Police to improve vehicular and pedestrian traffic and minimise the chances of accidents at Behala Chowrasta are welcome (“Violations 50m from crossing”, Aug 6). While there were hardly any policemen on duty at the spot when a lorry mowed down the school student, Souraneel Sarkar, early in the morning, it is heartening that several policemen, including three sergeants, were posted there the next day. Barricades have also been set up to prevent jaywalking.

Let us hope that the tragedy of Sarkar’s death will lead to greater awareness. Civic discipline is important and both motorists and pedestrians should follow traffic rules strictly if further loss of lives is to be prevented.

Khokan Das,
Calcutta

Sir — It is encouraging that Calcutta Police have taken the initiative to instal drop gates and deploy more policemen at Behala Chowrasta after a tragic accident took the life of Souraneel Sarkar, a student of Barisha Uchcha Balika Vidyamandir (“Police to be deployed on crash stretch from 6 am”, Aug 7). Hawkers encroach upon the pavements. Pedestrians can be safer if hawkers are given an alternative space. The Calcutta Municipal Corporation and the police should work together to find a solution to this problem.

Debaprasad Bhattacharya,
Calcutta

Sir — Hawkers continue to be a thorn in the side of the CMC (“Hawkers off school stretch”, Aug 7). The stretch of footpath near the school where Souraneel Sarkar studied has been cleared of stalls after the accident but the hawkers continue to hog the walking space barely 20 metres away. This is still unsafe for schoolchildren and their parents. If the reign of hawkers is not stopped, Calcutta will soon be called the ‘City of Hawkers’.

Fakhrul Alam,
Calcutta

Awarding silence

Sir — One requires a lot of courage to return awards granted by the government (“Good conduct prize”, Aug 7). Rabindranath Tagore did not hesitate to return his knighthood after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre as a mark of protest against the atrocity. Common citizens are still suffering injustices in New India. It is disheartening that the voices of those who bring glory to the country are being silenced.

Alok Ganguly,
Nadia

Sir — Rarely are academics, artists or scientists forced to accept riders for awards they rightfully deserve. It is thus quite regrettable that the Centre is mulling making award recipients sign an undertaking that they will not return their awards as a sign of protest. Such a move would undermine the values that cultural institutions like the Sahitya Akademi claim to uphold.

Tharcius S. Fernando,
Chennai

Local push

Sir — The Central government’s decision to impose restrictions on the import of laptops, tablets and personal computers is likely to have a significant impact on the Indian information technology industry. Firms which rely heavily on the import of such products from China, Singapore or Hong Kong will see their supply dry up and may have to incur higher costs. However, companies that already have the infrastructure to assemble such devices may see a boost in their earnings.

Amarjeet Kumar,
Hazaribag, Jharkhand

Sir — The restrictions placed on the import of foreign laptops, tablets and computers show that the government is serious about developing an indigenous tech manufacturing industry and balancing its trade deficit. Although security reasons have been cited for banning certain categories of devices, the decision also makes financial sense.

A. Nawas,
Kollam, Kerala

Sir — The Centre’s decision to boost domestic production of devices in the information technology industry by banning imports of some laptops, tablets and computers is a matter of concern. The national security argument seems overblown and the move could discourage foreign investors.

V. Singh Panwar,
Ujjain

Taste of defeat

Sir — The Indian cricket team losing two matches to a West Indian team that
was unable to even qualify for the upcoming one-day international World Cup made for a sad spectacle. It shows that the Indian side lacks its usual power in the
absence of stalwarts like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

F. Akhtar,
Hyderabad

Sir — It was painful to see the Indian cricket team lose its second T20 match on the
trot after failing to defend a target of 153 runs. One of the primary reasons for the loss was the inability of India’s top order to rise to the occasion, once again. It will now be a Herculean task for the Indian team to win the series.

N. Mahadevan,
Chennai