Make a list
Sir — Convenience comes at a cost. Most of us who order groceries and other necessities online are aware of the delivery fee for these goods. But there is something we do not consider. Going to the bajaar would be incomplete without a ‘fordo’ — a detailed list of all the items needed from the market. Shoppers thus carefully checked off all the items from the list. But with services that deliver things within 10-15 minutes, a carelessness has crept in among shoppers. Several small orders are now made throughout the day owing to absentmindedness. This adds up to more delivery fees overall, inflating household expenses.
Surjya Kanta Chakrabarty, Calcutta
Crude behaviour
Sir — It was distressing to read that the Trinamul Congress leader and irrigation minister of West Bengal, Partha Bhowmick, was threatened with imprisonment by the Bharatiya Janata Party leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, on the floor of the House. Adhikari’s confidence is telling and his lumpen attitude shameful. Incidentally, this threat gives credence to the allegations made by the chief minister of Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, who has claimed that Central investigative agencies are being misused by the BJP government to strike fear in the Opposition.
Khokan Das, Calcutta
Sir — I do not think any leader of the Opposition in the history of Bengal has ever openly threatened a minister the way that Suvendu Adhikari has. Such unparliamentary words are not befitting of his status. The Speaker of the Bengal assembly should punish Adhikari in order to uphold the dignity of the House.
Arun Gupta, Calcutta
Shameful show
Sir — It is shameful that a stadium which was named after Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was renamed after the current prime minister, Narendra Modi (“Hubris personified”, Mar 11). Even if it was obsequious bhakts who decided to rename the stadium, Modi should have had the humility to turn down the offer. It is clear that the prime minister is a megalomaniac.
Amit Brahmo, Calcutta
Sir — A Test match between two fierce rivals, India and Australia, in Ahmedabad was turned into a political affair instead of a sporting event. To make matters worse, the prime minister, Narendra Modi, took a lap around the stadium with his Australian counterpart in a makeshift golf cart. This was uncalled for and could have been avoided.
Bal Govind, Noida
Menacing festival
Sir — Holi is supposed to be the festival of colours. But Holi celebrations can often turn uncomfortable and menacing. A Japanese girl was harassed by a group of boys this Holi. They forcefully applied colours on her and cracked an egg on her head. This is not an isolated incident. Many women have faced such harassment on Holi. Greater police presence on festival days and increased security inside apartment complexes can help curb this menace.
Tashi Baheti, Ujjain
Sir — The food delivery application, Swiggy, recently faced flak for an advertisement which advised against cracking eggs on people on Holi. The company was called ‘Hinduphobic’. One wonders what its detractors will say about the Japanese girl who was attacked with an egg on Holi. Surely, practising Hindus do not go about cracking eggs on the heads of unsuspecting citizens. Hooliganism cannot be condoned in the name of religion. But that is increasingly what is being done in India.
Deepa Swain, Jharsuguda, Odisha
Sir — Saying “Bura na mano holi hai” is no better than saying “Boys will be boys.” There can be no excuse to touch a woman without her consent, not even Holi. What is worse, unlike other crimes that might allow visual access to the face of an unmasked perpetrator, Holi usually does not. It is difficult to identify people by their faces because they are smeared with colours. Even when perpetrators are identified, women rarely complain because the occasion of Holi is offered as an excuse for the misdemeanour. Holi is truly a terrifying festival for women.
Shruti Sharma, Ujjain
Home of hockey
Sir — The Guinness Book of World Records recognising the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela as the world’s largest stadium — it has a seating capacity of 20,011 — for hockey is a proud moment for India. It was built in a record time of 15 months. It is heartening to see India’s national sport gaining recognition. The government’s initiative will inspire the youth to bring glory to India.
T.S. Karthik, Chennai
Correction
In the article, “Cult over cricket” (Mar 12), by Mukul Kesavan, Jay Shah was mentioned as the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Shah is the secretary of the BCCI. The error is regretted.