Day of destruction

Sir ? Thanks to the injudicious permission granted by the Union defence minister, Pranab Mukherjee, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) held a huge rally on the Maidan on January 8, 2006, bringing the life of Calcutta and South Bengal to a grinding halt. Over 2,000 buses ? including both state-owned and private ones ? were called off the roads to carry the cadre to Brigade Parade Grounds, much to the chagrin of the hapless commuters. Needless to say, the attendance at the rally was neither voluntary nor spontaneous. The people, coming mostly from the suburbs, had gathered at the Maidan at the behest of local CPI(M) leaders and the atmosphere at the grounds was more festive than serious. The speeches of the leaders were nothing more than a replay of much-heard gramophone records. The crowd enjoyed a picnic under the warm winter sun with hot samosas and steaming tea. Some food was even cooked on location. Visits to the Victoria Memorial and the zoological gardens served as additional attractions. The expenditure that all this entailed was, of course, huge. The CPI(M)?s idea seems to be to throw a challenge to the opposition by displaying its money and muscle power. Couldn?t this money have been better utilized by giving it to those who really need it?

Yours faithfully,
Tapan Das Gupta, Calcutta

Sir ? The report, ?Cadre revels in Maidan maul? (Jan 9), can hardly be considered as an instance of honest journalism. Since more than 30 lakh people attended the rally, waste products were bound to accumulate on the grounds. Such concern, as was shown towards the greens in the report, is not on display when people are forced to sleep in filthy surroundings every day for want of a roof over their heads. The newspaper?s conscience is not distressed when multinational companies loot acres of forestland, displacing tribals from their homes. Nor does it seem aggrieved when large factories relieve toxic wastes into the rivers. It is only when the left parties organize rallies that the newspaper suddenly becomes concerned about the damage caused to the environment and greenery of Calcutta. Such anti-left bias in the name of neutral journalism is unfortunate.

Yours faithfully,
Subhanil Chowdhury, New Delhi

Sir ? Pranab Mukherjee?s arbitrary decision on the use of the Brigade Parade Grounds has opened the gate for conventions, fairs, exhibitions and the like to be held repeatedly on the Maidan. The damage caused is more than what the security money to be paid by the fair-organizers can compensate for. Destruction of the greenery has to be reckoned as a crime irrespective of who the perpetrators are. To save the Maidan from such savagery in the future, it would be prudent to block more than 50 per cent of the area with green cover. This will release some much-needed oxygen into the atmosphere and somewhat compensate for the pollution in the city.

Yours faithfully,
C.R. Bhattacharjee, Calcutta

Sir ? In the days of monarchy, kings and nawabs used to assert their absolute right on everything, overriding the interests of the common man. The same is now being done by political leaders to further their parties? cause. The CPI(M) rally on January 8 hardly achieved anything by way of public good. But it managed to seize the people?s right to free movement. The trade guilds that organize the Expos, Lexpos, Industrial Trade Fairs and Book Fairs on the Maidan are better than the political parties which hold rallies there. The guilds at least pay taxes for doing business on the grounds, and clean the litter after use. But if the ruling party refuses to pay for the damage done, who will be there to exact it? Will the bruises caused to the greenery of the Maidan by repeated political picnics ever heal? The CPI(M) has undoubtedly spent a huge sum of money to make the Maidan rally a success, not one paisa of it for environmental protection. This only goes to show that those who have money and power can get away with anything even in a democratic country like India.

Yours faithfully,
Touseef Ahmed Khan, Calcutta

Sir ? On the morning of January 8, I went to the Kalighat temple. Plenty of young men, with heavy woollens, sling bags and folded red flags, were there too ? offering puja and jostling for darshan. Our panda told us that these men belonged to the Brigade bandwagon. I was surprised, for communism and Kalighat make for a bizarre combination. On my way back, on the bridge over Tolly?s Nullah, the familiar sight of commercial sex workers was not to be seen. Presumably, they were having brisk business indoors.

Yours faithfully,
Chameli Pal, Batanagar

Memory check

Sir ? The conduct of the delegates at the Indian Science Congress in Hyderabad was shameful (?Amartya amnesia afflicts science?, Jan 4). What logic could the organizers have in pulling out the scheduled talk by Amartya Sen from the inaugural session? And what urgent business did the delegates have that they had to rush out soon after the speech by the prime minister? Sen was justified in refusing to present his speech after this. Such disgraceful behaviour from some of the leading scientists of the country deserves nothing but condemnation. It is an index of the dipping standards of our science establishment.

Yours faithfully,
N. Narasimhan, Bangalore

Sir ? By forgetting Amartya Sen?s scheduled speech, the Indian Science Congress organizers not only insulted the Nobel laureate but also missed an opportunity to hear his detailed speech. That the prime minister started his speech late is not a good enough excuse. To avoid mishaps like this in future, such events should be handled by professional organizers rather than by scientists.

Yours faithfully,
Sumant Poddar, Calcutta