No longer home?
The judicial order which could lead to the eviction of lakhs of forest dwellers is autocratic (Editorial page, “Without land or recourse”, February 23). Tribals have been in this habitat for ages. Where will they go? Those who say that tribals are destroying forest land are way off the mark. If they really wanted to do so, forests would have been decimated decades ago. The real destroyers of forest lands are smugglers, corrupt forest officials, their political masters and urban dwellers. It is these people that the judiciary should be keeping under check. Creating conditions for a tribal rebellion would be far more dangerous than a border war.
P.R. Harith Varma,
Hyderabad
Buffeted by backpacks
The writer’s light-hearted/mild description (‘Open page’, “Backpacks with punch”, February 24) of a careless act by a fellow air traveller with a backpack while boarding a flight does not fully convey the actual potential for discomfort or even outright injury to fellow passengers. I say this as a senior plastic surgeon. The injury caused (after being struck on the head by a backpack with gadgets) could even be of a serious nature if the person happens to be a child. Unfortunately, basic courtesy and care for others right next to us, in our crowded spaces, does not seem to be a part of our much-celebrated culture. However, we can certainly learn from others. On boarding crowded railcars in Japan, one notices how every person who has a backpack, or any other bag for that matter, carries it in a way that does not inconvenience others. Travellers go to the extent of keeping such bags between their feet while standing so that there is more room for other passengers. Perhaps airlines in India and other transport providers should emulate such an example and instruct travellers to observe this. Instructions to this effect can be highlighted prominently so that travellers can have a better experience than what the writer had.
Dr. Syed Altaf Hussain,
Chennai
Travellers beware
Should I as a recent visitor to India have to alter my expectations as to how I as a visitor can expect to be treated? While in Delhi recently, we decided to walk from our hotel to Connaught Place. As an obvious visitor, I am used to people wanting to talk to me. One gentleman, while walking with us, had advice as to where to go, but also warned us about a practice in and around the area perpetrated on the unsuspecting — of ‘excrement on the shoe scam’ where the victim will either be pickpocketed or charged an exorbitant sum to clean the mess. I had difficulty believing what I was hearing, until while walking through Connaught Place, two people, undoubtedly in on the scam, were extremely keen to point out that I had excrement on my shoes. Having been forewarned, we retreated a safe distance away and sorted it out for ourselves. But this disgusting practice does a great disservice to those in and around Connaught Place trying to make a living and reflects poorly on the area.
Martyn Thomas,
Cardiff, U.K.
A Sunday refresh
The idea to have the ‘Magazine’, in a new tabloid format, is commendable. The look and feel are great, with improved readability. Being rich in content, the portions can be read at leisure. New columns such as ‘It Happened Last Week’ and ‘Green Humour’ are thoughtful. The efforts to continuously and successfully experiment to improve the reader experience must be noted.
G. Gokul Kishore,
New Delhi
I am immensely delighted with the product. It is certain to make Sunday reading more pleasurable and archivable.
G. Ramasubramanyam,
Vijayawada
It is pleasing that the ‘Magazine’ not only has a refreshed format but also includes the ‘Literary Review’ section, my favourite, which disappeared from here over a year ago.
Richik Dadhich,
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Thank you for giving me ample reading material for a whole week while on the move in trains and buses. The ‘Magazine’ is now a breath of fresh air.
N. Krishnamurthy
New Delhi
The product is a pleasant surprise and raises the quality of reading material. I have been a reader since 2001 and am glad to say that the daily is way ahead of the competition in connecting with readers with updations.
Pallav,
New Delhi
