Clueless

Sir — Aarushi Talwar’s murder throws light upon the state of policing and crime investigation in the country (“Noida murder suspect dead, May 18). The police had initially suspected the domestic help, Hemraj, as the killer and had announced a reward of Rs 20,000 for anyone who could provide information on the suspect’s whereabouts. Subsequently, Hemraj’s body was discovered on the terrace of the Talwar residence by a former cop, leaving the local police with egg on their face. This kind of shoddy investigation is nothing new for the police in India. In the case of the Nithari killings too, the police had not acted swiftly enough after the parents told them about their children’s disappearance. The state government’s decision to transfer a policeman is unlikely to solve the real problem. That can only be done by putting in place a modern and efficient policing system in Noida, which has seen a sudden spurt in criminal activities.

Yours faithfully,
B.K. Chatterjee, Faridabad

Sir — The manner in which the electronic media cover crimes such as murders has always been a matter of concern. News channels often exaggerate facts while reporting such killings which greatly inconveniences the victims’ families. The wilful distortion of facts by the media goes to show that the channels are only concerned with television rating points. Take, as an example, the way the media have gone about reporting the gruesome murder of fifteen-year-old Aarushi Talwar in Noida. The victim’s parents have, expectedly, been traumatized by death of their daughter. The crime has not been solved yet, although investigations are on in full swing. Yet, certain television channels declared the girl’s parents are guilty of this horrible crime. Nobody can object to television channels presenting their version of an event to the people. But isn’t it the responsibility of the media to verify whether the reports are true or not?

Yours faithfully,
Md. Ziyaullah Khan, Pune

Sir — It has been reported that a former policeman, K.K. Gautam, who lived next door to the Talwars, discovered Hemraj’s body. Hemraj, incidentally, had been declared a suspect by the local police. This makes it clear that the investigators botched up the case from the beginning. Is there a case then for reinstating old hounds like Gautam who are more competent than the present bunch?

Yours faithfully,
Kanak Chowdhury, Calcutta

Sir — It seems Noida can never stay out of news. Murders, thefts and other crimes dominate the news about this place. I had visited Noida recently and found it developing at a furious pace. It was difficult to believe that such things can take place in a place such as this. But then, in a way, Aarushi Talwar’s murder does not come as a surprise. Such incidents have become a part and parcel of our burgeoning cities and the media too have reported these incidents regularly. Most people have stopped reacting to such news. They read them with a degree of indifference that is no less shocking than the crimes themselves.

Yours faithfully,
Nandini Saraf, Calcutta

Poll speak

Sir — Sonia Gandhi’s concern for the people of Nandigram is only cosmetic (“Sonia barb at Bengal’s violent politics”, April 29). The Congress government depends on Left support for its survival. Therefore, it is certain that Sonia Gandhi cannot do much else but say that she and her party were with the oppressed in Nandigram. Now that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has lost the panchayats there, it is likely that the people there would suffer violence at the hands of the cadre. But they shouldn’t hope for the Congress president or her party to come to their aid.

Yours faithfully,
A. Roy Mukherjee, Calcutta

Sir — Sonia Gandhi’s barbs concerning the culture of political violence in Bengal would certainly rattle the Marxists. Earlier, Jyoti Basu had made fun of the Congress president’s ignorance about political ground realities. However, Sonia Gandhi’s comments show that she is aware of the goings-on in Bengal’s politics. It seems that Madam has perfected the art of scoring political points, just as Basu had been a master at blaming the Centre for all of Bengal’s woes.

Yours faithfully,
Tusar Kanti Kar, Howrah

Cool minds

Sir — Only yesterday, while returning from the airport, I chanced upon a sight that is quite common on Calcutta’s roads. A taxi blared its horns as it went past another; the response, predictably, came in the form of a torrent of choicest expletives in Bengali. I have been driving on Calcutta roads for a couple of years now and I have witnessed such passionate exchanges quite often. I have also seen people argue and fight on the roads in other cities as well. However, the language they used were different. So what made yesterday’s incident memorable? I think it had to with my trip to Ladakh, where I spent seven days. Landslides take place regularly on the motorable roads in Ladakh. The narrow stretches cannot accommodate more than one vehicle at a time.

During my stay, I realized that the hills can teach a lesson to drivers from the city when it comes to obeying rules and following driving etiquette. In Ladakh, the volume of traffic is considerable. There are cars, trucks and buses that ferry passengers from one remote corner to another. It is often the case that the vehicles coming from opposite directions meet each other on a narrow stretch with a gorge on one side and a mountain on the other. Usually, a driver, instead of shouting at the other to clear the way, would reverse and let the bigger vehicle pass. On seeing this, my respect for the people I saw behind the wheel in Ladakh increased. It is their camaraderie and skills that keep the roads in Ladakh much safer than those in our cities.

Yours faithfully,
Sannoy Das, Calcutta