Becoming smart

Sir - Recently, the chief minister of Assam flagged off 46 air-conditioned buses in Guwahati. We hope that these buses will have facilities of 'universal access' so that everyone, including people with disabilities, can easily get into them. Smart cities should have a transport service which is accessible to all. Government rules also state that "Establishments in the transport sector shall... adapt rail compartments, buses, vessels and aircrafts in such a way as to permit easy access to such persons [with disabilities]".

Yours faithfully,Ketaki Bardalai, Guwahati

 

Without reason

Sir - The murder of Narendra Dabholkar was an attack on reason and secular values ("Late catch", Sept 9). The Maharashtra assembly could not pass the black magic prevention and prohibition of exploiting practices bill for years because of stiff opposition, which came especially from Hindu right wing groups. M.K. Gandhi's voice was silenced; so was Dabholkar's, by Hindu nationalist organizations. It is shameful that three long years after Dabholkar's murder, the Central Bureau of Investigation has named one of the participants in the plan to murder the rationalist and pointed fingers at the organization, Sanatan Sanstha, to which the accused belonged.

India is endangering its future by allowing superstition and fanaticism to grow. Since the sangh parivar reveres godmen, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre seems to be against individuals who question gurus and miracle workers. Those who do not subscribe to the dominant beliefs are being labelled as anti-nationals. Intolerance is growing and religious polarization is palpable.

The Bombay High Court came down heavily on the CBI for the "lackluster approach of its officers" in carrying out the investigation. There has not been any breakthrough in the M.M. Kalburgi murder probe as well. Given the way the CBI is controlled by the government, can it ever investigate impartially?

Yours faithfully,S.S. Paul, Nadia

 

Sir - A citizen of a democratic country, who has a complaint, first puts his trust in the public servant he approaches with a petition for relief. The officer may belong to the police, the revenue department or any other government office. It is only when justice is denied to him in these places that the citizen goes to a court of law. If we have a huge number of cases burdening the courts today, it is because citizens' grievances are not addressed properly by the government.

Yours faithfully,K. Ravi, Bhubaneswar

 

Sunny side up

Sir - It is painful to read in newspapers about students committing suicide. Often, the inability of young people to open up to the right person, who can give them timely and good advice, makes them take the extreme step. Teachers and parents should look out for warning signs - lack of enthusiasm, sudden withdrawal from friends, falling grades in studies, low self-esteem - in young adults. Parents should identify the natural flair of children and allow them to cultivate their areas of interest instead of pushing them to do things they dislike. Yoga and personality development courses should be made compulsory in schools. Students should also be encouraged to develop a sense of humour. They should learn to take life seriously but the comments of others lightly. One must remember M.K. Gandhi's words, "If I had no sense of humour, I would long ago have committed suicide."

Yours faithfully,T.S. Karthik, Chennai