The path to salvation

Sir — In January each year, hundreds of naga sadhus would halt for a few days in the Babughat area before flocking to Gangasagar. Although these sadhus have got rid of their clothes and, presumably, of other creature comforts, they seem to be as human as any in their biological functions. They leave behind an appalling amount of excreta on the banks of the Hooghly, thus adding to its pollution. It is said that one who helps a pilgrim acquires a part of his piety. Acting on this hope, will any rich man take the initiative to build lavatories for these ‘holy’ men at Babughat?

Yours faithfully,
N.K. Das Gupta, Calcutta

Steal a pond

Sir — There are incidents that can happen only in India. The recent dispute over whether the 11-bigha plot adjoining the Purbasha Housing Estate in Calcutta should be considered a tank or land is one such (“Make it simpler”, Jan 10). Now we can no longer call a pond a pond, as the Calcutta Municipal Corporation rummages through its records to find out what the controversial plot actually is. However, one should be prepared to revise the commonsensical definition of a waterbody one has known all along because money and power are on the side of those who would like the plot to be termed land. Since the Mani Group, which wants to fill up the tank for construction purposes, has connections in high places, perhaps it is only a matter of time before the pond disappears, after being proved to be a piece of land.

Yours faithfully,
Ravindra Kumar, Calcutta

Sir — Thanks to the hue and cry over the attempts by the Mani Group to drain out a pond, attention has been focussed on the way waterbodies in Calcutta are being filled up rapidly by real-estate agents. Calcutta is one of the most polluted cities of India. As such, it needs the few surviving patches of green and water tanks to breathe freely. But the CMC is concerned about anything but the health of the city. Promoters walk away with permissions to grab land after a few bucks have exchanged hands. What is more frightening is that even government agencies are often found seizing land or filling up ponds in Calcutta.

Yours faithfully,
Shaan, Calcutta

Sir — The report, “Alsatian army to chase away land-fill protesters” (Jan 6), strengthens the perception that realtors can go to any length for getting their plot of land. The manner in which the residents of the Purbasha Housing Estate were hounded by dogs is reminiscent of the way despots of the Middle Ages persecuted their subjects. Promoters are known to be ruthless. But the act of setting dogs on unarmed and elderly protesters adds a new edge to stories of their viciousness.

Yours faithfully,
Surajit Das, Calcutta

Poison ivy

Sir — I was shocked on reading about the serial killer called K.D. Kempamma, alias Mallika, who duped women into offering puja and then killed them with cyanide to rob them of their belongings (“Lady killer with cyanide prasad”, Jan 1). Mallika’s family background should be investigated as most such crimes stem from a troubled family history. It is also necessary to understand how Mallika got to know the uses of cyanide and from where she procured the chemical. Since cyanide is available only in certain laboratories and industries, it is worth knowing how Mallika had such an easy access to it. Crimes such as this deserve no less than the death sentence. If she manages to hoodwink the law by some means, which is not impossible given her skills, Mallika might well end up as some politician’s aide.

Yours faithfully,
B.S. Ganesh, Bangalore