Making it to the tea party

Sir ? So India?s foreign secretary, Shyam Saran, beat other diplomats to have a chat with the United States of America?s new secretary of state (?Early bird Saran scores with Condoleezza meeting?, Nov 19). Hope that will end the country?s sundry ills other than its beleaguered foreign policy ? starvation, corruption, pollution, bandhs, price rise! I salute Saran for achieving so much instantaneously. I am just puzzled how the rest will play out: will India adopt the Stars and Stripes, or will Rice have the Ashoka chakra embedded in the American flag?

Yours faithfully,
Shyamal Bagchee, Edmonton, Canada

Drive home a point

Sir ? I agree with Gargi Gupta that driving on Calcutta?s roads is a hard job (?The importance of being driven?, Nov 17). But driving in other Indian metros is not exactly fun. The reason for the Calcuttan?s preference for chauffeurs has to be sought elsewhere. Economically, Calcutta is no match for other metros. Most car-owners here are not as well off as they project themselves to be. The predominance of cars parked on pavements at night (as their owners cannot afford garage space) tells a lot about the financial status of their owners. Families which have one car keep a chauffeur as the use of the car can then be multiplied ? it can take the kid to school, drop the breadwinner at his workplace, and the homemaker can then take it to bring the child from school. As a war-strategist craves for force multipliers like AWACs, Calcutta?s car-owners crave for chauffeurs. ?Drivers? also offer value-added services like washing the car, taking it for servicing, guarding the vehicle when it is parked at night or doing the weekly vegetable bazaar. In Calcutta, they are available at a much lower compensation package than in Mumbai or in Delhi. Altogether, it makes hard economic sense to keep a chauffeur in Calcutta.

Yours faithfully,
Tapan Pal, Batanagar

Sir ? It is not merely a driver, but drivers with mobiles, that are the current ?status symbol? in Calcutta. A good, efficient driver in Calcutta is actually a blessing. Apart from driving the car, he is there to be the scapegoat when the car grazes a motorcycle, a child or a woman, or to steer the vehicle through water-logged streets in monsoons and to keep a guard over it in case it gets grounded. In Calcutta, however, drivers are required more for parking than driving. Parking is often a time-consuming affair. At many places, the car has to move in and out of the lot to enable other cars to park. Besides, a self-driven car-owner is at a disadvantage when he has to park his car for a long duration. There is always the worry of finding the car amiss ? either stolen or carted away by the police for parking the car in a no-parking zone. As it is, ?no parking? signs in the city are inconspicuous. Besides, given the inconspicuousness of our other street regulations, like the ?one-way? traffic rules, it is always safe to have a local driver if one is a newcomer in the city.

Yours faithfully,
U. Sen, Calcutta

Parting shot

Sir ? Diwali might be welcome to humans, but is a terror to animals. My cats and dogs hide in every nook and cranny of the house. I shiver to think what the birds go through with rockets whizzing past them and the sharp rise in air pollution.

Diwali also makes me wonder how the people, who make violent protests against rising prices, burn so much money. Since Diwali this year coincided with Id and a weekend intervened in between, people went on an extended holiday mood. The cracker-bursting went on endlessly. Surprisingly, no one protested, especially from households with pets, or aged, ailing people or newborns. Why don?t we think of others?

Yours faithfully,
Maushumi Guha, Calcutta