Full of love
Sir — Can there be such a thing as too much love? Apparently there can. A dog in New Zealand has died because its owner loved it so dearly that she refused to stop overfeeding the pooch. So critical was this overdose of love that the doctors could not hear the dog’s heartbeats owing to its body weight. The woman has now been sentenced to two months in prison for her unbridled affection. It is not just dog owners who think that love can be expressed through food. Just think about the Indian matrons who keep piling food on the plates of hapless guests, refusing to pay heed to the latter’s entreaties of being full. Mothers who turn a blind eye to their children’s obesity and keep overfeeding them are the same. One wonders what punishment they deserve.
Dipshikha Sen, Calcutta
Federal tussle
Sir — The Delhi visit of the chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, and her participation in the NITI Aayog meeting remain an enigma (“Didi Niti triggers fireworks”, July 28). Banerjee was the only chief minister from the Opposition camp to attend the meeting. She walked out, protesting that her mic had been switched off. This claim was refuted by the Union finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, who said that Banerjee was spreading falsehoods. Whatever be the truth, it cannot be denied that Banerjee has nothing to show for her trip to Delhi. She met neither the prime minister nor the leader of the Opposition. All this hoopla over the NITI Aayog meeting is much ado about nothing.
Subhash Das, Calcutta
Sir — On the one hand, the prime minister, Narendra Modi, talks about working constructively with the Opposition and on the other, leaders in the Opposition camp are not given an opportunity to speak. Irrespective of whether or not Mamata Banerjee’s mic was switched off, it cannot be denied that 15 minutes is not enough time to speak about the troubles of a state. Moreover, given that Rahul Gandhi has made a similar allegation about his mic being switched off in Parliament, there seems to be a pattern in the way the government treats those in the Opposition. Clearly, the Bharatiya Janata Party has not learnt its lesson even after the message sent by the results of the general elections.
Jakir Hussain, Kanpur
Sir — The chief minister of Bengal does not have “to play the victim card”, as Samik Bhattacharya, the state BJP spokesperson, has accused her of doing. Like the chief minister of any other state not ruled by the BJP, she too is a victim of bias. The BJP often claims that it wishes to work with the states as partners on reforms and development. But this is not reflected in practice. Besides the stepmotherly treatment in the allocation of funds, governors in non-BJP ruled states make it difficult for elected governments to work. Cooperative federalism should be strengthened for the betterment of the country.
H.N. Ramakrishna, Bengaluru
Sir — The list of chief ministers who did not attend the NITI Aayog meeting is long and embarrassing for the National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre. More so since even the chief minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, who is a part of the NDA, did not attend the meet. Clearly the third term of the Narendra Modi-led government will not be smooth sailing.
P.K. Sharma, Barnala, Punjab
Sir — All the chief ministers of the INDIA bloc, except Mamata Banerjee, boycotted the NITI Aayog meeting. One wonders whether her walking out of the meeting and then alleging that her mic was turned off was an attempt to save face with the INDIA parties.
Birkha Khadka Duvarseli, Siliguri
Sir — At the NITI Aayog meeting in Delhi, Mamata Banerjee demanded a joint river commission with Bhutan, adding a new challenge for India at a time when New Delhi is already courting Bangladesh with an offer to renew the Ganga Water Sharing Treaty. Many rivers flow into North Bengal from Bhutan, causing floods in Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri districts every year. Banerjee’s demand thus holds water.
Murtaza Ahmad, Calcutta
Rare achievement
Sir — Congratulations to India’s shooting ace, Manu Bhaker, for scripting history by becoming the first Indian since Independence to win two medals at the same Olympics. Bhaker and her partner, Sarabjot Singh, secured a bronze in the 10-metre air pistol mixed team event. The pair earned the country its second medal at the Olympics. One has to appreciate Bhaker’s composure. She refused to be distracted by the hype around her first medal. The Indian youth should take inspiration from Bhaker’s dedication to the sport.
Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee, Faridabad
Sir — Hats off to Manu Bhaker for making history at the Paris Olympics. She and her shooting partner, Sarabjot Singh, have made India proud. However, it is unfortunate that India has not been able to bag more medals when smaller nations have succeeded in doing so. This shows that much attention needs to be paid to sports in India.
N.R. Ramachandran, Chennai
Be fair
Sir — I do not understand why kanwariyas are being given such a long rope even when they are known to create a ruckus and flout the laws. The Uttar Pradesh government, especially, is actively encouraging the lawlessness of the kanwariyas. Being a pilgrim does not give one the licence to harass other citizens. Moreover, those who are breaking laws should be punished. One cannot escape the consequences of one’s actions.
Amit Brahmo, Calcutta
