Sonia Varma’s Remote-Button Intimacy (April 8) movingly conveyed her sense of deep anguish and sorrow at the tragic loss of her friend and classmate. But while she’s well within her rights to plead for mercy for her late friend and her family, she should remember that others undergo this fate as well. And things get worse when trp ratings dictate all. Every human being is a most selfless and giving person someone or the other knew. It may be a spouse, a parent, a friend, a child or a mere acquaintance. What Ms Varma needs to do is to sensitise the minds of her news-hungry colleagues so that the next victim can be spared such a harsh media inquisition.
E.R. Padmanabhan, New Delhi
I think ‘prominent’ mediapersons like Sonia Varma should have some influence on their own channel first and then pontificate about others.
R. Venkataraman, Chennai
It’s really sad that Sonia Varma needed a personal experience to realise the media’s intrusive role. In fact, the way things are, journalists seem next in line to be the most hated breed after politicos. I agree with what Ms Varma says about her friend Natasha, but can’t fathom her sudden holier-than-thou attitude—ndtv is no better considering the background and class it caters to. I’ve often felt so disgusted at the way its senior staff and reporters go all out to draw blood with their rabid trouble-mongering. The channel’s intent has never been to enlighten the public, just to put its personal point of view across. We can see its anchors taking sides and playing cat and mouse with victims. The bigger the celeb, the cheaper the thrill. I have no political leanings but seeing any human being humiliated publicly does not make my day. It’s not fair that Ms Varma should distance herself now from this filth. She should stand by her fraternity and clean up the mess.
Jyoti Swaroop, Chennai
It’s ridiculous that Sonia Varma should suddenly become "sensitive" to the behaviour of the media because it has hit so close to home. I followed closely the reporting on Gujarat riots and came away wondering if Barkha Dutt was only reporting riots or trying to cause more with her sensational tidbits. What I find even more tasteless is asking the sufferers (who have probably lost their entire families) the question "Aapko kaisa lag raha hai?" Well, take a guess!
Arinjay, on e-mail
Your cover story Faster, Lower, Frailer (April 8) made mandatory reading for all workaholics. It was as if we were all reading about ourselves.
K. Chidanand Kumar, Bangalore
Your cover story was an eye-opener. It’s definitely wake-up time not only for the upwardly mobile but also for people like me working at the vital middle level of administration in government offices.
G. Sankar, Chennai
Your cover headline The Price of Success is a misnomer. What do you mean by success? Having a credit card, a PC, a cellphone, a few bottles of Scotch in the fridge and having made it to Star News programmes like We, the People at least once? The headline should have been The Price of Chasing a Western Lifestyle. For, anorexia came to stay with the Miss Universe and Miss World contests, we first heard of bulimia when Lady Di was diagnosed with it. Natasha Singh was a victim of such a lifestyle. Even in death, she couldn’t get rid of that lifestyle. She jumped to her death from a five-star hotel, carrying a cellphone in hand, smsing her grief to the world. And you’re talking of saving these misguided urban Indians with inane tips like cycling and jogging in the polluted environs of Delhi. Instead you should tell these people to stop chasing dollar dreams and embrace our traditional values, and maybe they shall be redeemed.
Raghav Venkatesh, Gulbarga
You’ve listed all possible problems attendant on a modern lifestyle. How about giving some solutions?
V. Venkatakrishnan, on e-mail
Fast lifestyles and stress have almost finished the modern man who should turn to music and meditation to redeem himself. Socrates said ‘Know Thyself’. The entire wisdom of 21 centuries lies in these two words.
T.S. Pattabhi Raman, Coimbatore
Your article on lifestyle diseases made interesting reading. But how could you ignore dental problems? They are the most silent strikers in the body and catch you unawares. Mere brushing and using mouthwashes never rids you of them. It’s this neglect which causes a large number of people to loose their teeth early. A simple check-up is all that’s needed to keep your teeth healthy. Bleeding gums and decayed teeth are a focus of infection and also cause bad breath. In fact, a recent study suggests increased susceptibility to heart disease because of bleeding gums.
Dr Jayanth Dehadrai, Ahmedabad
Haven’t you heard of that truly Indian remedy called Yoga which is sweeping the world as the best for stress and instilling inner calmness. The upwardly mobile have no one to blame but themselves. They have chosen to ape the lifestyle of the West without imbibing their culture of physical fitness. No wonder the excess starts telling after some time.
Dilip Mahanty, on e-mail
The practice of hiring young executives in place of mature, experienced professionals is the main cause of stress. To justify their high mnc salaries, these executives work harder to prove themselves and retain their place in the rat race. This pressure to perform is what causes these individuals to be mental, emotional and physical wrecks.
R.K. Gupta, Chandigarh
It’s very sad to note that the price of success is tension, high blood pressure, etc. But are the Outlook executives any different?
Abhishek Verma, Allahabad
One wonders what parameters Vinod Mehta uses to ascertain the ‘decency’ of the PM in his Delhi Diary (April 8). The minimum proof of decency the common man expects from the premier of a country is to ensure that the life of all citizens is safe and relief measures are taken on a war footing when there is some disturbance.
A. Poruthur, on e-mail
Harish Bharti deserves all praise for bringing a mighty American mnc to its knees for feeding beef extract to unsuspecting vegans (Ole McDonald Had a Cow, April 8). Bharti left India for the US in 1983, and if my memory serves me right, there was a controversy even then over beef tallow involving a shuddh vanaspati manufacturer. Nothing came out of the case. Then again, some time last year a Chandi-
garh-based newspaper reported how an entire file of a similar beef tallow consignment scandal went missing. Maybe our chalta hai attitude doesn’t help us take things seriously. Maybe adulteration in our country is no big deal. Maybe Maneka Gandhi in 1983 was not the activist she is today!
Milton D’Silva, on e-mail
Apropos your "...one for the cowbelt expats in the US of A". What kind of writing is this? Are vegetarians to be derided? How does Bharti get labelled as being from the cowbelt? And last, ‘vegans’ and ‘vegetarians’ are two different things.
Vimal Goel, on e-mail
Retired police and administrative officials are known to take a tough stand and boldly expose politicians but there are very few serving officers who can call a spade a spade (Unkindest Cut, April 8), the spade in most cases being the immediate political boss. Officers are accountable to the elected representatives of the public but it’s not necessary to obey their absurd orders.
Praveen Singh Rathore, on e-mail
I think we should amend the Constitution so as to give the governor full control of the police force so that they report to him and not the state home minister. Also, the tenure of police personnel in every district and town should be fixed. Transfers should be allowed under exceptional circumstances and only if the concerned policeman requests it.
S.J. Santosh, on e-mail
Raja Menon may be an honourable man but I cannot let biased writing stand unchallenged (Dossiers of Genocide, April 8). I am not sure whether police and politicians colluded in Gujarat. But I can cite several instances when the Congress or Left parties have been in power where Muslim mobs have rampaged, killed, raped, murdered and burnt Hindus and there has been silence from the fourth estate.
Jayant Ogale, on e-mail
I agree with Raja Menon’s description of the happenings in Gujarat. But the analogies he cites and the solution he suggests (an international trial) are questionable. Ferreting out facts about where the members of a targeted community live is done by misguided zealots everywhere, whether they are Hindus in Gujarat or Muslims in Kashmir. If official connivance is established, it should be condemned and the guilty punished. But the blame in each case must be fixed where it’s due. Unfortunately Menon follows in the footsteps of the selective secularists for whom the finger of blame, like a compass needle, always points in one direction.
Meenakshi Venkatesan, on e-mail
Why is it that we praise the missionaries for their good work but do not castigate them for forced conversions and ignore the good work that the rss has done in the past and berate it for everything it does for the Hindu religion?
Raja A., on e-mail
It’s impertinent to call the backlash of the Hindus in Gujarat a genocide. What happens in Kashmir is real genocide. Let Menon and his tribe spread this fact through their mighty pen. It’s because Hindus have remained calm on earlier occasions that fanatics have been further emboldened. Now at least the sane among the Muslims would persuade these elements to renounce their satanic principles.
Malarmannan, on e-mail
Apropos your story Morbidity Junction (April 8), I think the problem can be solved if our metro stations are designed the way they are in all the major cities of the world—Moscow, Paris or London. The stations there are completely enclosed halls denying anyone access to the tracks. The walls facing these tracks have opening and closing doors which have interlocks with the doors on the trains. The doors open only when a train arrives at the station and close before the train leaves. It is a simple and safe system which we might do well to emulate to ensure both safety and punctuality.
Anupam Goyal, on e-mail
Thanks for telling us the stories of honest policemen in the Gujarat riots (Unkindest Cut, April 8). It’s a shame that in more than 50 years of independence our politicians have had a free rein to trample the Constitution which our forefathers gave up their lives to earn. And the saddest thing is that when the time comes for bestowing largesse in the form of Padmabhushans, etc, it will be the sycophants of the political bosses who will get them. We will continue to blame "foreign powers" for our ills while turning a blind eye towards our homegrown, self-appointed guardians of religion spreading hatred. I hope the acts of these karamyogis will inspire others still untainted to stand up to their political bosses and discharge their constitutional duties. Perhaps then this country will find her moral compass back.
Sanjoy Mukherjee, on e-mail
This refers to your Polscape item (April 1) where political motives have been attributed to what was purely an unintentional lapse. That day, the question to the defence minister was way down on the list and there was no possibility of its being called. Only, a number of MPs were absent, and my name was called during question hour. I instinctively got up and asked my question. It was only after question hour was over that colleagues pointed out our party’s decision not to put any questions to George Fernandes.
Dr Karan Singh, New Delhi
Apropos Let the Good Times Roll (March 25), I would say good job, Mr Jogi.... Even if you’re a new convert to privatisation!
Ramesh Raghupatty, on e-mail
