Return of the prodigal

Sir — The picture of Russi Mody at the Founder’s Day celebrations of Tata Steel in Jamshedpur reminded me of the times when Mody was the chairman and managing director of the company (“Just like the good old days”, March 4). During my visits to Tisco in the early Eighties, I was amazed to witness the immense popularity of Mody. Many of the workers regarded him as someone next to god because of his benevolence. Once, during the Pujas, I was astounded to see Mody’s photograph kept beside the idol. Unfortunately, such a remarkable relationship between employers and employees has become a thing of the past.

Yours faithfully,
A.S. Mehta, Calcutta

City blights

Sir — Regular commuters from the southern suburbs of Calcutta are having a tough time travelling north. This is because the overbridge at the Bagha Jatin level crossing has been closed to traffic after it developed a crack in August, 2007. The minister for urban development, Asok Bhattacharya, had promised almost seven months ago that the bridge will be ready for use by the end of March. I travel from Garia to Barasat daily and I am yet to see any repair work being done on the bridge. Everyday I, along with hundreds of others, have to spend an hour or more in the inevitable traffic jam at the approach of the Bagha Jatin level crossing. The reckless autorickshaws and the ramshackle state buses travelling on the route add to the chaos. Is this the ‘shining’ Bengal that our chief minister talks about?

Yours faithfully,
S. Roy, Calcutta

Sir — On a visit to Belgharia a few months ago, I found that in spite of the presence of a footbridge, people at the Belgharia railway station were walking over the tracks to get to the other side of the station. Intrigued, I tried using the footbridge and discovered why people were not walking on it. The bridge was badly damaged at places. I also found that many ruffians take refuge on the bridge, especially at night, thus making it unsafe for the common people. The steps leading to the bridge were also a bit too high and would inconvenience the physically challenged and the elderly in particular.

I tried to contact the railway authorities several times during my stay at Belgharia and also from the United Kingdom after my return, but to no avail. When people are going overboard in praising the Union railway minister, Lalu Prasad, they should think of damaged footbridges like the one in Belgharia that receive no attention.

Yours faithfully,
T. Bandyopadhyay, Hounslow, UK

Parting shot

Sir — From the recent instances of tiger attacks in the Sunderbans and the reactions they have evoked, it is evident that the Sunderbans will soon go the Sariska way (“Back from tiger jaws”, March 3). It is essential that independent investigations are made into the repeated attacks. It is too simplistic to assume that the lack of prey is driving these animals into the villages. The incidents over the last one month would make it seem that animals which tigers prey on have vanished overnight. Is that believable? Perhaps poachers are behind all this. If people are agitated over tiger attacks, the government will be forced to go on the backfoot on its “save the tiger” drive. Forest guards in the Sunderbans are so ill-equipped that they cannot stand up to a large crowd of angry villagers, leave alone heavily-armed poachers. Some of the eco-resorts in the region are doing a far better job of spreading awareness. A few of them have also employed reformed poachers. The forest department should think along similar lines to stop poaching.

Yours faithfully,
U. Gangopadhyay, Thane