Have a pleasant journey

Sir — I am thankful to the Calcutta high court for pulling up railway authorities for their dereliction of duty (“Court bar on illegal railway hawkers”, April 18). Unauthorized hawkers, jostling for space with bona fide commuters, are a common sight in local trains. The platforms are equally crowded with vagrants, dogs and abandoned bicycles, impairing free movement. The reason for the GRP turning a blind eye to the problem is not difficult to understand. The court ruling will hopefully put an end to the problems faced by commuters.

Yours faithfully,
Tapan Pal, Batanagar

No help in sight

Sir — It is shocking to see the AIFF chief, Priya Ranjan Das Munshi, making silly excuses to explain the dilapidated condition of football stadiums in Calcutta (“We are helpless, says Das Munshi”, April 17). His suggestion that nothing can be done to improve the infrastructure just because the Maidan belongs to the army is ridiculous, to say the least.

Even if we are to accept Das Munshi’s argument on this point, how does the president of the All India Football Federation propose to explain the pitiable condition of soccer in this country? Football is still popular in India. In fact, there still are a number of clubs and academies that are working hard to improve the standard of the game. Unfortunately, they do not receive any help from the State. There is also an acute shortage of sponsors who are ready to pour money in the game. Despite being at the helm for nearly two decades, Das Munshi has done precious little to change things. Now that he has admitted his helplessness, he should resign from his post.

After the Indian cricket team was bundled out of the World Cup, the poor cricketers had to bear the brunt of the people’s anger. Their effigies were burnt on the streets and their property destroyed. However, so far, nothing has been done to penalize those who are solely responsible for all that is wrong with the game in India.

Yours faithfully,
A.K. Mukherjee, Jamshedpur

Sir — During his visit to India, the president of the Asian Football Confederation, Mohammad Bin Hammam, was able to assess the critical condition of this particular sport. Hammam, along with Sepp Blatter, the Fifa president, had come to India, ostensibly to kick-start a campaign which would help football to come out of the mess it is in. However, despite their best intentions, messrs Hammam and Blatter are unlikely to succeed in their task. The only way to save the sport from imminent death is to bring about certain drastic changes. For instance, the AIFF needs to be headed by a dynamic sportsperson or a bureaucrat with proven ability. Having politicians at the head of sporting bodies can often be disastrous. These men are too busy to devote attention to the game and its problems.

Das Munshi, the man in charge at the moment, is no exception. Apart from his ministerial duties, he is also busy educating Indians on what can be watched on television. Understandably, he has very little time on his hands to make a difference to football. One hopes that the Fifa president’s visit will ring in the changes and help India become a force to reckon with in world soccer.

Yours faithfully,
A.S. Mehta, Calcutta

Sir — I am glad that Sepp Blatter did not mince words while describing the present state of Indian football. Our officials seem to be obsessed with India’s footballing success that was achieved a long time ago. However, dwelling in the past would not help the country regain its former glory. For that, India needs to play good soccer and have dedicated men running the show.

Yours faithfully,
S. Chatterjee, Canberra, Australia