Vocal for local
Sir — Exotic produce — dragon fruit, kiwi and so on — is increasingly edging out local fruits and vegetables in India. This summer, while there has been a scarcity of mangoes and pears in Calcutta, avocados have been easy to procure. Similarly, last winter, broccoli, which was a rare find even a decade ago, cost less than cauliflowers. The market for many Indian fruits and vegetables — when was the last time we saw karamcha? — is diminishing. This kind of dietary shift is detrimental to both the environment and the pocket. The carbon footprint of one Hass avocado imported from South America priced at above Rs 150 is the same as that of four kilogrammes of beef, whereas the Indian avocado or venna pandu is not just delicious but also far cheaper.
Rita Boral, South 24 Parganas
Fair demands
Sir — The chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, has asked state government employees to procure dearness allowance funds from Delhi (“Let DA agitators bring funds stuck in Delhi: CM”, May 16). This is disheartening, especially since the Calcutta High Court has declared dearness allowance to be an employee’s right and not just an optional payment for the state government.
Mihir Kanungo, Calcutta
Sir — There is no doubt that government employees in West Bengal are justified in their demand regarding their dearness allowance. However, they are drawing salaries from the government and, as such, are morally liable to render their service in spite of their grievances. The common people are not responsible for the arrears in dearness allowance. Moreover, since they have already knocked on the doors of the judiciary, they should wait for the final verdict.
Kajal Chatterjee, Calcutta
Black mark
Sir — Two hundred and thirty-three of the present members of Parliament have declared criminal cases against them. The number of MPs with declared criminal cases has increased by 44% since 2009. A candidate who has declared his or her criminal charges has a whopping 15.5% chance of winning an election, as opposed to the meagre 4.7% for a candidate with a clean background. This is worrisome.
Shovanlal Chakraborty, Calcutta
Dignity in death
Sir — It is appalling that a father had to carry the corpse of his child on public transport owing to the hefty charges claimed by private ambulances (“Dad carries baby’s body in bag”, May 15). The government should immediately formulate schemes to allow people to safely transport the bodies of their relatives. Moreover, fares of private ambulances should be standardised.
Hemanta Sasmal, Howrah
Sir — State government hospitals should have hearse services for patients who cannot afford to pay for such facilities themselves. The trauma of bereavement should not be compounded by that of carrying a body on public transport.
Manish Golder, Calcutta
Wasted resource
Sir — It is impossible to predict whether India’s demographic dividend will ultimately help in its growth (“Boon or bane?”, May 16). The government should generate employment opportunities and improve healthcare and education facilities in order to harness the potential of working-age Indians. The Centre and the states must work together to ensure that everyone can avail the benefits of Digital India.
Bal Govind, Noida
History lessons
Sir — A. Raghuramaraju’s article, “Stay apolitical” (May 15), traces the exponential rise and fall of the British East India Company and the lessons in business that can be learnt from this trajectory. The article draws an apt parallel with the blurred lines between business and politics in New India, where influential business people have a disproportionate say in governance.
Sukhendu Bhattacharjee, Hooghly
Right choice
Sir — It is heartening that Karnataka’s director-general of police, Praveen Sood, has been appointed as the director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (“Congress Karnataka bugbear to head CBI”, May 15). He has, over three decades, held various important posts in India and abroad. He has also incorporated the use of modern technology within various departments in the police force.
Ramesh G. Jethwani, Bengaluru
Fatal charge
Sir — The electrocution deaths in Ekbalpore need to be dealt with seriously (“Electrocution whiff in twin deaths”, May 15). Such accidents continue to occur owing to the irresponsibility of local authorities and power distribution companies. Although money will not bring back those who have died, the families of the deceased should be adequately compensated for their losses. The government should also aim for better management of the local power supply offices and ensure the upkeep of supply lines and so on.
S.S. Paul, Nadia
Risky terrain
Sir — Within three months of introducing 20 African cheetahs to the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, three of them have passed away. A female cheetah, Daksha, recently died when a male cheetah got aggressive during mating. The project to reintroduce cheetahs in India, initiated by the prime minister, Narendra Modi, has failed to take the needs of the cheetahs into account, jeopardising their lives.
Shruti Sharma, Ujjain
