Upset balance
Sir — Recycling — it has several environmental benefits — was once frowned upon as a marker of lower class status. But the art of upcycling, inventing new uses for obsolete things, has now become a trend that everyone wants to be a part of. Recently, the abandoned Canfranc Railway Station in Spain was converted into a luxurious hotel. Until 1970, it had been an important part of European rail history. The station could have been restored to preserve its significant historical past instead of reconstructing it entirely as a hotel. A balance needs to be struck between preserving history and upcycling places.
Nilofer Ansari, Calcutta
Wrongful use
Sir — The blatant misuse of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 by the Assam Police to register around three thousand cases of alleged child marriages trivialises the significance of this key legislation. Child marriage is a serious offence. But it cannot be treated on a par with other heinous crimes against children. The Gauhati High Court has rightly admonished the police for their mindless use of the law.
D.V.G. Sankararao, Vizianagaram, AP
Star player
Sir — Tulsidas Balaram, the celebrated footballer from Indian football’s golden era in the 1950s and 1960s, passed away recently (“End of the ‘holy trinity’”, Feb 17). His death marks the demise of the ‘golden trinity’ of Indian football, which included P.K. Banerjee and Chuni Goswami besides Balaram. Balaram was one of Asia’s best footballers and had rapidly risen to stardom, especially after the 1956 Olympics. At 27, he retired and began to work as a talent scout for the All India Football Federation. His unwillingness to toe the administration’s line cost him his job. In 1989, he was nominated for the Padma Shri but subsequently rejected without any apparent cause. He eventually became a recluse.
Khokan Das, Calcutta
Sir — Tulsidas Balaram’s death marks the end of an era in Indian football. Although his career was short, it was marked by spectacular highs. He played as a centre forward until his growth trajectory was cut short by a bout of tuberculosis.
Shovanlal Chakraborty, Calcutta
Shining diplomacy
Sir — The Queen Consort of the United Kingdom, Camilla, will wear the Queen Mary’s Crown at her coronation, albeit without the Kohi-Noor diamond (“Camilla won’t wear the Kohinoor”, Feb 15). Although the gem is claimed to have been a gift to Queen Victoria by Maharaja Duleep Singh, some research suggests that the British duped the young Indian monarch after the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The monarchy has put diplomatic relations with India above the dazzle of the Koh-i-Noor.
Sukhendu Bhattacharjee, Hooghly
Unfair fine
Sir — The Greater Chennai Corporation has imposed a fine of Rs 50 for urinating in public. However, in order to maintain a Swachh Bharat, the government should look into building more public toilets and restoring existing ones instead of simply fining the public who have little access to urinals.
T.S. Karthik, Chennai
Parting shot
Sir — Getting a taxi in Calcutta without an online aggregator has become a nightmare. Drivers of yellow taxis bluntly refuse to go by stipulated fares and demand exorbitant rates instead. The drivers place the blame for this on the government for not raising the standard fare to match inflation and fuel prices. The state government should look into this matter.
Shivang Agarwal, Calcutta
