P. Sainath has echoed the sentiments of millions of cricket lovers (“Burn the orchard, re-grow cricket,” June 2). The BCCI-IPL association has done incalculable damage to the game. Something needs to be done to break the nexus among corporates, politicians and film stars in the IPL. Genuine cricket lovers will not forgive the manner in which the sport was systematically destroyed by the BCCI to make way for the freak show. The way N. Srinivasan is clinging to his post as BCCI chief despite the betting and spot-fixing scandal in the IPL is ample evidence of the huge stakes involved in running the sports body.
J. Anantha Padmanabhan,
Srirangam
The article expresses the sentiments of many cricket lovers who are agonised by commercialisation of the game in the name of IPL. Gullible people have been blinded by the zing created around the event. Perhaps it is also necessary to analyse why a player who performs very well in IPL does not show similar mettle in matches that are not commercial.
Renduchintala Murali Krishna,
Secunderabad
The running commentary in the media over the reluctance of the BCCI chief to quit is rather sickening. His exit alone will not bring about a remarkable improvement unless drastic measures are taken to revamp the entire structure of the Board and root out betting and spot-fixing, aided and abetted by sponsors and some players. Realignment at the helm to tide over the situation is akin to changing pillows to get rid of a headache. That said, we have to admit that the human tendency to bet can only be controlled, not eliminated.
B. Gurumurthy,
Madurai
India is beset with many problems like unemployment, poverty and corruption. It is surprising that politicians and the media are focussing only on cricket. I am also a cricket lover but I feel the undue focus is unjustified.
D. Kishan Prasad Rao,
Karimnagar
Aijaz Hussain Malik,
Baramulla
The action of the police is a violation of human rights. Transgenders have a right to live with dignity.
The police department, a government agency vested with the responsibility to protect citizens, cannot work against the Constitution of India, which says the state shall not discriminate against any citizen on the basis of sex in employment.
S. Irudaya Selvaraj,
Chennai
