In black and white

Sir — Human beings can, paradoxically, be humane and cruel at the same time. Two recent incidents separately highlighted this contradiction in the human psyche. In one instance, Tapas Saha made a sincere attempt to rescue his own assailants from being lynched by an angry mob, which had come forward to save Saha’s life from the hands of these armed men (“Good citizen”, May 17). In the other case, Sheikh Jamaluddin, a patient suffering from tuberculosis, was taken for a thief and beaten up by a mob (“Youth seeks water, gets death”, May 19). Jamaluddin eventually succumbed to his injuries at the Sambhunath Pandit hospital, after being rejected by three health centres.

These two incidents reveal the sharp contrast in human behavioural patterns and should make people look into themselves and reflect upon the weak moral fibre of present-day society. Do we have the same “moral clarity” as Tapas Saha or are most of us part of the mob that chose to take the law into its hands and punish Jamaluddin? Unfortunately, people like Saha are rarely found these days whereas violence on the streets continues to rise. One hopes that people would think twice before becoming a party to crime. This would ensure that tragedies such as the one that led to the death of Jamaluddin do not take place again.

Yours faithfully,
Ranadhish Choudhuri, Calcutta

Sir — It is a sad commentary on the city’s culture that a sick boy pleading for water was beaten up and killed on suspicion of being a thief. The incident points to the growing indifference in our society. Although there are still some morally upright people such as Tapas Saha who rescued his tormentors from a belligerent mob, they are too few in numbers to bring any comfort to conscientious citizens. The death of Sheikh Jamaluddin shows how society can be adversely affected as a result of collective apathy. The heartbreaking incident is a great shame for those who take pride in Calcutta’s peace-loving ways.

Yours faithfully,
Saumitra Munshi, Calcutta

Unsung heroes

Sir — Ashok Mitra has rightly highlighted the significant humanitarian work being done among Indian tribals by the likes of Binayak Sen and Sudha Bharadwaj (“Enemies of the State”, May 23). The treatment of Dalits and tribals is deplorably exploitative. Unless public opinion is sufficiently ignited, Indian tribals will go the way of the Australian aborigines and the American Red Indians. The Maoris of New Zealand and the Fijians have managed to survive better than most tribals in other countries and their examples are worth emulating.

Yours faithfully,
Saroj Kumar Mehera, Calcutta

Sir — “Enemies of the State” by Ashok Mitra exemplified not just the writer’s lucid story-telling abilities but also raised a very serious point.

Are not brilliant men and women such as Binayak Sen and Sudha Bharadwaj responsible for stemming the utter discontent of those marginalized by the system? If such individuals did not exist, a tribal revolution would have reached our doorsteps a long time ago. The system denounces violence, yet indulges in unfair practices. But, for how long?

Yours faithfully,
Swati Gautam, Calcutta

Different opinion

Sir — In “Fast past the post” (May 19), Raju Mukherji discusses the charges that Sunil Manohar Gavaskar brought against the International Cricket Council. Gavaskar’s allegations make it clear that the ICC has not been keeping pace with the way cricket is evolving. Each of Gavaskar’s criticisms is valid, whether it concerns poor umpiring standards or racial discrimination on the field.

Like any other sport, cricket must change if it has to retain its popularity. From a gentleman’s game that was played over the weekend, cricket today has become a professional, lucrative business venture. With sponsors coming in, the game has become even more competitive. The ICC should look to adapt itself to the changing face of cricket. Resolving differences of opinion and keeping some of the cricketing greats such as Gavaskar on its side would do the ICC a world of good.

Yours faithfully,
Meghbartma Gautam, Calcutta

Sir — It was surprising to see Sunil Gavaskar waste three-quarters of his write-up badmouthing a nobody like Darren Barry for saying something unsavoury about ‘our’ part of the world (“Many dip hands in the river of gold that is Indian cricket but show no loyalty”, May 20) . Racial prejudices continue to exist globally. If Barry was “not impressed” by the scale of terror that stalks India, even we Indians are guilty of discriminating against two coloured cheerleaders. Such incidents keep happening frequently and should be ignored because they are not worthy of any attention.

Gavaskar also flays foreign players and coaches who were a part of the IPL for their avarice. He should keep in mind that none of these foreigners had come a’ begging and were all appointed by the managers and owners of the respective teams in the league, the players having been ‘won’ through competitive bidding.

Yours faithfully,
S.B. Gupta, Calcutta