Great loss

• Sir - It was saddening to read about the death of the American literary giant, Philip Roth. He was widely considered one of the most formidable figures in post-war American literature. He deserved the Nobel Prize, although he never got it. He did win a number of other prestigious honours, though, such as the Pulitzer, the Man Booker, the Faulkner and the National Book awards. He wrote more than 30 books in which he chronicled the best and worst of the United States of America. Roth will be remembered as one of the most celebrated authors of his generation. His death is a great loss for the literary world.

Ramesh G. Jethwani,

Bangalore

Cruel intentions

• Sir - The temporary Sunday market on Calcutta's Galiff Street, involving the sale of animals, birds, ornamental fish and plants, is very popular among the people. Every Sunday, thousands throng to Galiff Street to buy pets. The visitors are not just Calcuttans; people from other districts go to the market as well.

Recently, I visited Galiff Street on a Sunday. I was shocked to see the sorry state of the birds that were on sale. Most of the bird-sellers kept the birds in small, cramped cages, without any food and water. A number of sellers were also keeping birds in cardboard boxes with a few small holes. It is but natural that birds will die in these conditions - they do not even get enough oxygen, let alone food and water. All sellers must be compelled to follow strict guidelines regarding how to provide proper care for the birds, animals and fish they are selling.

Sourish Misra,

Calcutta

• Sir - It is heartbreaking to see the conditions in which the animals in the Galiff Street Sunday market are kept. The birds have no space to even move, let alone stretch their wings, in their cages. The puppies - most of them are expensive breeds such as Labrador retrievers, beagles and Alsatians - are handled in a rough way by sellers and buyers alike. It makes one furious to watch the manner in which some people 'inspect' the puppies on sale; it is as though they are buying an inanimate object, not a living creature.

If people wish to keep dogs as pets, why do they not go to one of the overflowing shelters in the city and adopt a dog that is in desperate need of a home? It is because of Indians' obsession with 'pedigreed' dogs that places like the Galiff Street market thrive. It is obvious that those who buy dogs from such places are not doing so because they love dogs, but because they want to own expensive breeds as status symbols. Unfortunately, once the puppy starts growing up and requiring more care and attention, the same people who bought it abandon it on the streets to fend for itself. These dogs end up in shelters and die. The sale of animals and birds must be actively discouraged by the government. In the short-term, the sellers of the Galiff Street market must be forced to treat the puppies and birds with care.

Swati Roy,

Calcutta

Monstrous act

• Sir - It was appalling to read that an 11-year-old boy of Class V was beaten with an iron rod by the principal of a government school in Dehradun for complaining about the mid-day meal. The child ended up being hospitalized ("Boy beaten up for meal complaint", May 23). The incident reminded me of the scene in Charles Dickens's famous work, Oliver Twist, in which the orphaned Oliver was subjected to cruel treatment just because he asked for a little more food. Dickens wrote the book in the 19th century, when such practices were common. It is shameful that the kind of violence against children that was prevalent back then is still occurring well into the 21st century.

Jahar Saha,

Calcutta

• Sir - It is not enough for schools to just serve mid-day meals. They must also ensure that the food is nutritious and of good quality. If it is not, then students have every right to point that out to the school authorities. How could the principal of the primary school in Dehradun beat up a child merely because he said that the meal was of poor quality? Are these the kind of people to whom parents are expected to entrust the lives of their children?

No one is saying that children should be demanding fancy meals. But the food they get should at least be palatable and safe for consumption. Instead of ensuring that the students got proper food, the school decided to beat up a child for making a valid complaint.

Rohit Ganguly,

Guwahati

• Sir - It is disheartening that children are still subjected to corporal punishment in schools in present times, and often under the flimsiest of pretexts. The principal who beat up a student so badly that he had to be hospitalized must be heavily penalized.

Aritra Das,

Calcutta

Alarming trend

• Sir — Quite a few sex rackets have been busted in Bhubaneswar in the recent past. Apart from locals, some foreign nationals were found to be involved in flesh trade (“Thai girls in sex trade”, May 21). It is clear from the reports that illegal activities are being carried out under the pretext of running spas and beauty parlours. 
This also reflects a change in the city’s socio-cultural landscape. From a conservative city, Bhubaneswar is slowly transforming into a cosmopolitan one. However, this process has both positive and negative connotations. Sex trade is only one of the problems. While police have to be strict in dealing with such cases, a social movement should also be launched to ameliorate the situation. 

Pritam Mohanty, 
Bhubaneswar 

• Sir — The arrest of eight Thai women during a raid on a spa in the capital city proves, once again, the involvement of foreign nationals in sex trade. In July last year, a 22-year-old Uzbek citizen was arrested for allegedly assaulting cops in an inebriated state. Later it was found that the girl was involved in flesh trade. In March 2016, a 30-year-old sex worker from Kyrgyzstan was rescued by the police from an apartment in the Chandrasekharpur area of Bhubaneswar. The law-enforcing agencies must keep a strong vigil to curb such illegitimate activities. 

Sourav Jena, 
Cuttack 

• Sir — The demographic pattern of the capital has undergone a sea change in recent years. Bhubaneswar has become an important medical and education hub. In such a scenario, slack policing has led to the flourishing of prostitution rackets in the city. The police need to beef up the intelligence network in order to curb immoral trade. 

Rajesh Mishra, 
Paradip 

• Sir — Flesh trade is reportedly being carried out from many rented premises in Bhubaneswar. Therefore, the police should not be complacent with the cases that they have cracked recently. Getting a clearance from the police before renting apartments should be made mandatory in the capital city. 

Anandjit Patnaik, 
Cuttack 

• Sir — Sex trade is mushrooming in the city. The police’s failure to act on time has led to the rise in such illegal activities. Given the police’s inability to control the menace, the state may think of legalizing sex trade. 

Aantarik Mohanty, 
Rourkela 

Question mark

• Sir — The conduct of the governor of Karnataka, 
Vajubhai Vala, after the recently-concluded assembly elections, has cast aspersions on the sanctity of the governor’s office. Governors have often played a partisan role in Indian politics. They are thus considered to be stooges of the party in power at the Centre. Bihar, too, has had its share of controversial governors. The demand for the Centre to consult the state government regarding the appointment of governors remains unheeded. 

Shashank Kumar,
Patna

Hot spot

• Sir — The Bihar Museum is one of the best in the country. It has been constructed according to international standards. Yet a number of questions were raised about the project. The chief minister, Nitish Kumar, was asked if it was worth spending Rs 500 crore on a museum for a state under financial stress. Some even suggested that the venue should have been used for the construction of a five-star hotel and shopping mall. A single visit to the museum, however, will affirm that Kumar has not made a mistake. Museums, after all, are not commercial ventures.
This institution can be turned into a major centre of art and culture by undertaking a few measures. A guide should be appointed for visitors so as to explain to them the importance of the relics on display. The authorities can charge a little extra over the entry fee of Rs 100, if needed. The museum closes by 5 pm. The visiting hours should be extended. This would bring in more visitors. Finally, the government must look after the maintenance of the majestic building.

Manmohan Krishna,
Patna