Hour of darkness

Sir — I was very enthusiastic about ‘earth hour’, which took place on March 27. I switched off the lights to celebrate this much-anticipated event, and waited eagerly to see whether everybody else did the same. But it seems that most people are either not aware of this campaign or are not bothered about contributing towards saving the environment. The practice of switching off lights for an hour every day should be followed regularly to curtail unnecessary wastage of power.

Yours faithfully,
Mohammed Sadullah Khan, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Star-crossed

Sir — It is unfortunate that the Congress in Maharashtra has raked up a controversy over the appearance of Amitabh Bachchan as a special guest at the inauguration ceremony of the second phase of the Bandra-Worli sea link (“Big B at bash, Cong squirms”, March 25). The chief minister, Ashok Chavan, has said that he would have skipped the event had he known that Bachchan would attend it. This comment was best avoided. Bachchan only honoured an official invitation sent to him by the public works department, which is under the control of the Nationalist Congress Party. Chavan should not have expressed his reservations about the fact that Bachchan is the brand ambassador for Gujarat in such a brazen manner. As a true citizen of Mumbai, Bachchan did nothing wrong by attending the event.

Yours faithfully,
R. Sekar, Visakhapatnam

Sir — The storm raised over the invitation extended to Amitabh Bachchan to attend the opening of the new sea link in Mumbai appears to be churlish. Bachchan is a national icon. He belongs to the people who have a rightful claim over the sea link. Hence, inviting a man of the masses was an appropriate step. Bickering about this after the event is over is ridiculous. It is time civility and magnanimity reappeared in public life.

Yours faithfully,
J.S. Acharya, Hyderabad

Lost beauty

Sir — The Goa government’s decision to freeze all new mining proposals in the state has come too late. The authorities have turned a blind eye to illegal mining that has gone unchecked, especially in the last five years. Most of the ecological damage has occurred during the tenure of the current chief minister, Digambar Kamat, and that of his predecessor, Pratapsinh Rane.

How does Kamat justify the arbitrary mining permissions granted to mega construction projects while the Regional Plan 2021 is yet to be finalized? Chances are we may not see this plan implemented by 2021. By then, Goa’s forests, hills and fields will all be converted into concrete jungles. Kamat is often seen visiting religious shrines. Perhaps he has been seeking forgiveness. God may forgive him, but the people will never pardon Kamat and Rane for destroying what was once India’s most beautiful state.

Yours faithfully,
Aires Rodrigues, Goa

Too dear

Sir — While a sizeable number of Indians survive on Rs 20 a day, those holding government jobs get dearness allowances (“Govt offers DA balm”, March 20). These drain the exchequer of crores. Perk hikes to civil servants must be banned. The State must, instead, concentrate on the well-being of senior citizens who live on a tight budget as they have not been lucky enough to get a berth in a government office.

Yours faithfully,
A.S. Mehta, Calcutta