Human touch
Sir — One of the most sustainable and green modes of transport is the bicycle. But riding a bicycle, especially on the city streets, is not bereft of problems. Many cyclists report that they face undue aggression from drivers of four-wheelers and must deal with dangerous situations because of such vengeful behaviour. A 2019 study in Australia found that more than half of those who drive cars think that cyclists are not “completely human”, revealing a link between dehumanisation of bike riders and acts of deliberate aggression. As the world grapples with climate change, there is an immediate need to adopt eco-friendly ways of living. But unless drivers consider the safety of cyclists, it would be difficult for people to safely transition to cycling.
Anamika Saha, Calcutta
Tragic numbers
Sir — The latest report by the National Crime Records Bureau lays bare several alarming facts. The report, Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India, shows that daily wage earners remained the largest group among suicide victims in 2021, accounting for 25.6 per cent of deaths.
There has also been an alarming increase in suicides among daily wage earners since 2014. This is, however, the first time the suicide percentage has crossed the quarter mark. The government must investigate the reasons behind the spike in numbers and formulate targeted policies to ease the burden on this constituency.
Diganta Chakraborty, Hooghly
Sir — According to the latest NCRB report, Calcutta has registered the least number of rape cases among 19 Indian metropolitan cities. Calcutta reported 11 cases in 2020 as opposed to 1,226 in Delhi, the highest number of rape cases in the country. The capital of West Bengal was also among the cities where no attempt-to-rape cases were registered. Delhi was followed by Jaipur and Mumbai in the number of rape cases. Indore, Bengaluru and Hyderabad also registered a significant number of cases. This reveals that Indian cities continue to be immensely unsafe for women.
Bhagwan Thadani, Mumbai
Sir — Chennai has ranked second when it comes to road fatalities in the NCRB report. The majority of deaths caused by two-wheeler accidents were reported in Tamil Nadu, followed by Uttar Pradesh, accounting for 11.9 per cent and 10.3 per cent of total deaths, respectively. Although over-speeding is the leading cause of road accidents, unmarked speed breakers and potholes, too, can cause mishaps. The authorities must take remedial steps to arrest this trend.
N. Mahadevan, Chennai
Picture imperfect
Sir — Reports indicate that the sangh parivar has instructed festival organisers of Ganesh Chaturthi to display photographs of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in pandals. The decision of the Hindu Mahasabha Gauri Ganesh Seva Samiti in Davanagere to include Savarkar’s picture on the festival flexboard has led to an uproar. It is curious that Savarkar continues to reign supreme as a Hindutva idealogue when, in reality, he was allegedly an atheist himself. Nonetheless, the sangh parivar should have respected Savarkar’s personal stand on religion and desisted from putting his picture on the poster.
Ravi Kiran Rai, Bengaluru
Under water
Sir — Pakistan has been hit hard by catastrophic floods. The death toll from the deluge, which began in mid-June, is estimated to be over 1,000. Apart from the loss of lives and property, food prices have also sky-rocketed in the nation. The common people of Pakistan are struggling to put food on the table. Reports indicate that the Government of India is holding discussions on providing aid to Pakistan. Pakistans will need all the help they can get.
Ritwika Ghoshal, Calcutta
Dubious motive
Sir — Corruption runs deep in all leading political parties in India. The Bharatiya Janata Party may try to assume a moral high ground on such matters but there is simply no way that all the leaders of the saffron party are clean. It is thus suspicious that recent raids by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate have been carried out only on leaders of the Opposition. The chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, has rightly questioned why the BJP can spend crores of rupees to topple elected state governments and not face scrutiny. It is condemnable that investigative agencies have failed to perform their duties impartially under the watch of the Narendra Modi regime.
Arun Gupta, Calcutta
Green hurdles
Sir — There is no doubt that developed countries have exploited non-renewable energy sources to the hilt for industrialisation. Yet, developing nations are now being expected to shoulder equal responsibility when it comes to cutting down greenhouse gas emissions. In recent years, there has been a concerted push towards adopting renewable sources of energy. But people living in low-to-mid income countries do not have access to renewable energy sources. However, the gravity of climate change makes it imperative for developing countries to overcome their limitations.
Shivesh Patidar, Ujjain
Model path
Sir — There need not be a direct link between education and financial success. Many entrepreneurs, including Gautam Adani, did not pursue higher education. Adani left college at the age of 18 and took a train to Mumbai with a few hundred rupees to start his own business. Young entrepreneurs have much to learn from Adani.
Sadiksha Agrawal, Ujjain
