News of little use

Would there have been so much hue and cry over the death of Abhishek Mishra if he didn’t happen to be in the same picnic group as Lalu Prasad’s daughter, Ragini (“BIT boy drowns in Dasham”, Dec 9)? Clearly, the reports have now made the boy’s family feel that there was a conspiracy against him. Why are we constantly being shown pictures of Abhishek and Ragini together (probably enlarged from a group photograph)? And what about the outrageous questions posed to the boy’s family? This shows that the media have not learnt to behave responsibly yet.

Yours faithfully,
Aamir Sajjad Ahmed, Calcutta

Friends no more

Sir — It is a relief that Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi have managed to win the gold medal in men’s doubles in Doha, in spite of their festering acrimony (“Leander balm after Mahesh outburst”, Dec 14). According to reports, Paes had earlier suggested that India missed the team gold because Bhupathi did not have the interest of the country in his mind. Bhupathi too had no complimentary words to say of Paes. It is sad to watch the former world champion doubles partners spew venom on each other, and that too, in public. Neither Bhupathi nor Paes is getting any younger, so they would have done themselves and the tennis fraternity proud if they had gone out on a positive note. Perhaps their families, the Union sports ministry and the All India Lawn Tennis Association bosses should try to bring them together one final time.

Yours faithfully,
B.K. Chatterjee, Faridabad

Sir — Tennis in the Doha Asian Games has brought both happy and gloomy moments for Indian fans. Although the rift between Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi is old news, the latest manifestation of their falling out was quite shocking. Their decision to play together in Doha was not without its share of controversies, but still, was enough to generate nation-wide expectations. Their win may have fulfilled those expectations, but the exchange of words makes the taste of their success rather bitter.

Yours faithfully,
Md. Mudassir Alam, New Delhi

Sir — The performances of Sania Mirza, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi in the Asian Games bodes well for India. With the Indian cricket team looking as if victory is anathema to it, tennis is generating new hopes. Perhaps this is not so bad, since it might finally wean away the people from the addiction called cricket.

Yours faithfully,
Sandeep Kumar Sethi, Dhenkanal, Orissa

Sir — In the Olympics, Asian Games or Commonwealth Games, the past performances of our athletes or players have been mostly dismal. In the current Asian Games in Doha, small nations like Thailand and Taipei are ahead of India, and the difference with frontrunners like China, South Korea and Japan in the number of gold medals is ludicrous. It is high time we looked for a solution. Let us accept, for argument’s sake, that athletes in India have certain physical limitations. But what about the decline in hockey, a game in which the country excelled once? However dismal their recent performances, our sportsmen are sent to participate in these games as representatives of a “great nation” and to spread the message of peace and goodwill. Maybe India should plead with the global sporting bodies for reservations for the backward nations.

Yours faithfully,
K. Venkataraman, Chennai

Sir — It is unfortunate if Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi are not comfortable with each other any more. But if that is so, we must find other pairs. There is no dearth of talented players in our country.

Yours faithfully,
Shailesh Kumar, Bangalore