Hairy solution
Sir — Bengali children have grown up listening to the calls of hawkers offering aluminium utensils in exchange for hair — strands were balled up and stored in packets every day after combing one’s hair. However, the environmentalist, Selene Estrach, seems to be collecting hair for a much nobler cause. Venezuela’s Lake Maracaibo has been polluted with so much crude oil that it is visible even from space. Estrach has asked volunteers to donate their hair to weave nets that can soak up the oil. Thousands of people have donated to the cause already. While most of us lament our receding hairlines and the smattering of animal fur on clothes, hairfall might finally contribute to something more useful than misery.
Titir Basak, West Midnapore
Impractical plan
Sir — The Election Commission of India has said that it would require close to a year to finalise arrangements for conducting simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and the state assemblies. The Opposition believes that this is an impractical proposal, not least because it is against the federal structure of the Constitution. Moreover, if the government at the Centre falls mid-term, it would then require the state assemblies to be dissolved or brought under president’s rule. Simultaneous elections are thus not only financially draining but also not feasible.
Bhagwan Thadani, Mumbai
Timely help
Sir — The Indian government has sent nearly 6.5 tonnes of medical supplies and 32 tonnes of disaster relief material to Palestine. This is admirable. The Palestinian ambassador to India, Adnan Abu Alhaija, thanked the country, adding that, “Yesterday, only 20 trucks entered Gaza. Before the siege, there were nearly 500 trucks carrying goods to Gaza and that was not enough.” India must continue to stand with Palestine.
Md. Mofidul Islam, Howrah
Sir — Israel continues to brutally bomb Palestinian territories. It has broken international humanitarian laws by attacking non-combatants (“Blood on hands”, Oct 24). Palestinians have been deprived of basic necessities like food, water and electricity. Hearteningly, India has sent humanitarian aid to Gaza via Egypt. Other countries, too, should come forward to help Palestine.
Afazuddin Kazi Qasmi, Mumbai
Sir — India sending aid to Palestine hints at a more balanced approach to the crisis than the unilateral stance that the prime minister originally took. This is encouraging.
Amarjeet Kumar, Hazaribagh
Stay strong
Sir — The INDIA bloc is seemingly failing to maintain a united front before the assembly elections scheduled in five states in November. Internal tensions within the Congress regarding seat sharing and ceding more seats to regional allies loom large. A united front that can challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party will require the Congress to be at the axis of the bloc and Congressmen who can look beyond their personal ambitions and reach out to regional parties. Antagonism towards the BJP might have been the formative glue but the alliance will need a more binding vision of nation-building to stay together.
T.K.R. Noori, Mumbai
Steady showing
Sir — India defeated New Zealand by four wickets at their World Cup clash in Dharamshala on Sunday. This match has truly tested the prowess of the Indian team. Mohammed Shami contributed greatly to the win and the team’s combined efforts were unparalleled. India’s steady performance has ignited the hope of them bagging the World Cup on their home turf.
Tauqueer Rahmani, Mumbai
Sir — India’s match against New Zealand was pitch perfect. But during the ongoing World Cup, Indian spectators have been shamefully jingoistic. While patriotism is bound to creep in while watching an international sporting event, this should not translate into hatred for and heckling of other countries. It is telling that such disgraceful displays are not witnessed at matches against countries like New Zealand but only when countries such as Bangladesh and Pakistan are playing.
Although these teams represent their countries, the players are not State actors or political spokespersons. In 1999, when Pakistan defeated India in Chennai, the audience gave a standing ovation to the Pakistani team for their masterful game. Such sentiments have been killed by the rabid ideology of the current regime.
Shovanlal Chakraborty, Calcutta
Legend of the game
Sir — One of India’s greatest left-arm spinners, Bishan Singh Bedi, has passed away at the age of 77 (“Bedi, who was always there for rookies”, Oct 24). Bedi, Erapalli Prasanna, Srinivas Venkataraghavan and B.S. Chandrasekhar formed the celebrated spin quartet that dominated Indian cricket in the 1970s. Bedi retired in 1979 with 266 Test wickets to his credit. He was also an able administrator and was known for being outspoken and fearless. Bedi will remain an inspiration for many.
N. Mahadevan, Chennai
Sir —Phrases like ‘greatest moral voice’, ‘conscience keeper’ and ‘audacious’ are not enough to describe the personality of Bishan Singh Bedi. He had such immense control over his craft that he did not need conducive pitches to spin his web around the best of batsmen. During his captaincy, Bedi stood behind his teammates like a rock. Several incidents in his career — the case of John Lever tampering with the ball, for instance — showed that he never minced his words. Bedi was the gold standard of spin and cricket.
Bal Govind, Noida
