War of words

♦ Sir - The public spat between the two television journalists, Barkha Dutt and Arnab Goswami, was ugly ("Bone-breaking news, bloody nose", July 28). The proliferation of television news channels has led to fierce competition among television anchors; they try to grab the limelight by projecting themselves as the protectors of society. In the context of the disagreement, Ruchir Joshi's article, "An engine of cowardice" (July 31), was interesting. Joshi was scathing in his criticism of Goswami, and called him a bully. The author seems to believe that Goswami is harming India's rapidly-increasing population of young people by influencing them with fabricated news. Joshi also says that Goswami does not allow people to articulately challenge his "pre-trial verdict". The television anchor is branded a coward as he did not ask the prime minister important questions about the failures of his government.

It is true that Goswami tends to go overboard at times. For example, he recently accused a section of the media of being agents of the Inter-Services Intelligence. It is shameful that Goswami is a visible representative of the journalistic community in India, which has been home to several eminent scribes. Dutt's behaviour was no better. The people of India expect them to behave more sensibly.

Yours faithfully,
Ranesh Chandra Dey,
Calcutta

♦ Sir - The article, "An engine of cowardice", should act as an eye-opener for all self-proclaimed nationalists. Several prominent journalists have expressed their concerns about the impudent brand of journalism practised by Arnab Goswami. I do not think I have ever seen Goswami reporting from the field. All he seems to do is sit in a comfortable studio and shout down panellists who do not share his opinions. I wonder why Goswami believes that he has the right to judge whether an individual can be termed anti-national or not. Most journalists have rightly lambasted Goswami for his pompous attitude.

Yours faithfully,
Shazia Anjum,
Asansol

♦ Sir - Ruchir Joshi's virulent criticism of Arnab Goswami is unfair. Joshi's article does not really present facts. Goswami's show, The Newshour, is very popular, as is evident from its high target rating points. If the debates conducted on the show were as pointless as Joshi makes them out to be, the viewership would be far less.

Goswami is known for asking blunt, searching questions on his show. Often, these are questions that citizens themselves would like to ask politicians. It is true that Goswami interrupts the guests on his show, and does not let them finish speaking. But he does that when the speaker starts beating around the bush instead of answering Goswami's questions. Finally, Joshi should refrain from making inflammatory statements about Goswami's "treachery" towards the Indian Constitution.

Yours faithfully,
Nirupam Haldar,
Calcutta

♦ Sir - Rather than presenting an incisive argument on the subject of Arnab Goswami's brand of journalism, Ruchir Joshi, in his article, appears to be addressing personal grievances. He does not explain how Goswami has been treacherous towards the Constitution. The author's tirade is boring. He even calls Goswami's knowledge of the English language "atrocious", and alleges that he must have learnt it "in school". I am sure Goswami's English language skills were honed quite well during his stint at Oxford University.

Yours faithfully,
Sanjit Ghatak,
Narendrapur

Water woes

♦ Sir - Heavy rainfall in cities such as Gurgaon, Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai has revealed that urban spaces in India are not equipped to deal with such situations. The drainage systems in most cities, from stormwater pipes to sewage pipelines, are badly planned. As a result, there is waterlogging even after moderate rainfall. Unchecked urban development has ensured that rivers, wetlands and, at times, even ponds and lakes are filled up for construction purposes. This upsets the fragile ecological balance of such places. The devastation caused by cloud bursts in Uttarakhand and the floods in Chennai are a few examples of this.

The main problem in Mumbai is its antiquated drainage system, but as the city grows it encroaches more and more upon water bodies and coastal areas that used to act as reservoirs for excess water. Unless we acknowledge the fact that a city's underground planning is as important as its overground planning, urban spaces will continue to suffer the vagaries of nature.

Yours faithfully,
S. Kamat,
Alto Santa Cruz, Goa

♦ Sir - Recently, incessant rainfall brought life in the millennium city of Gurgaon to a standstill. In Bangalore, Mumbai and Hyderabad, too, thousands of commuters had to face difficulties on account of severe waterlogging. The government should think of new ways to mitigate the effects that flooding has on urban areas. One way to do this would be to construct more reservoirs to hold surplus water.

Yours faithfully,
Devendra Khurana,
Bhopal