Other problems

Sir — The report, “From Khardah, Mitra’s Kalinga” (Oct 1), talks about the water problem and promoter-raj in Bilkanda, but I would like to draw attention to the poor road conditions here. Barring the Station Road, every other stretch is in poor shape. The one that connects Old Calcutta Road with Kalyani Expressway via Patulia is no different. The Patulia panchayat is controlled by the CPI(M). Local leaders say that things will improve when the Left regains power. Meanwhile, the number of accidents and injuries continue to rise.

Yours faithfully,
Pritam Ghosh, Khardah

Ivory towers

Sir — The derogatory remark made by the Congress minister, Sriprakash Jaiswal, on women is yet another blot on the United Progressive Alliance government. The mindset and attitude of leaders like Jaiswal are clearly evident from these insensitive comments. Not just Jaiswal — a whole bunch of ministers have also been known to put their feet in their mouths. In August, Beni Prasad Verma had said that inflation benefits farmers since it gets them better prices for their produce. His statement spoke volumes about his knowledge of the basics of agriculture and economics.

Then again, we had the prime minister, Manmohan Singh, telling us that money does not grow on trees. His remark was made in context of the government’s decision to raise the prices of such crucial consumer goods as LPG and diesel. We also had the Union minister, P. Chidambaran, saying that average middle class families do not think twice about buying an ice cream for children by paying Rs 20, but would not pay higher prices for wheat and rice to help farmers recover their costs.

The list is long and it shows how isolated our ministers are from reality. They continue to inhabit their make-believe world and do not bat an eyelid at spending over Rs 28 lakh for the coalition’s third anniversary dinner. At a time when the prime minister is exhorting the aam admi to tighten his belt and be prepared for tough times, he seems to have no qualms about spending a large amount of money on government functions. Was the theme of austerity not a consideration while planning for the function? Could the event not have been organized on a more modest scale? Or was the prime minister emulating the grandness of the dinner that Barack Obama hosted in his honour during his last visit to the United States of America? After all, following the US on all matters is Manmohan Singh’s mantra these days.

Yours faithfully,
S. Kamat, Bardez, Goa

Parting shot

Sir — Recently, I paid a visit to Rabindra Bhavan at Mungpoo. On visiting Mungpoo, I was delighted to know that visitors from other nations — including those from Bangladesh and Germany — often travel to this place to catch a glimpse of Rabindranath Tagore’s abode and his personal belongings. The authorities of Rabindra Bhavan must be credited for preserving this dwelling to the best of their abilities.

But it is fairly evident that there is scope for improvement in their efforts to preserve Tagore’s legacy. His white bust, bed, books, pictures and some invaluable paintings are intact but they have undoubtedly been afflicted by the ravages of time. It is sad that like most other museums, the one in Mungpoo will fall from grace if the state government fails to renovate it at the earliest.

Yours faithfully,
Janga Bahadur Sunuwar,

Jalpaiguri