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Reader's Mail

Rainy daze

The front page photograph (July 19) showing an elderly person stranded in waist-deep water near ITO in the Capital epitomises the plight of hapless Delhiites. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words; this one captured and succinctly spoke of the pathetic state of affairs in the Capital.

Maybe the civic authorities are not yet acquainted with the annual monsoon cycle and were taken by surprise when it did finally arrive. Or maybe they are yet to understand why low-lying areas get inundated after the slightest of showers. The blame game is on as part of the annual fiesta. The seasoned players -- MCD, NDMC, PWD, DJB -- are doing a great job passing the buck. The sponsor, the Delhi Government, is expecting to fill the coffers for its ministers and legislators. Mute spectators, the citizens, watch the game with a sense of helplessness, hoping that the venue shifts to some other town for a change. With such finesse-packed teams, hosting the Commonwealth Games four years from now should be a cakewalk for Delhi.

Alok Srivastava,
55/1, 2nd Floor, Old Rajendra Nagar, New Delhi - 110 060.
Hello, Airtel....

I got my Airtel mobile No. 9818287080 disconnected in August 2005. I also got the message that my security deposit of Rs. 2000 would be sent to me by cheque. But even after several visits to the Airtel franchise shops and so many faxed reminders I have not got my money back.

Every time I visit the Airtel outlet they register a new complaint and give me a reference number. According to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) regulations, the deposit should be refunded within 60 days. But no one seems to care.

I look forward to receiving my money now.

G. Panneer Selvam,
Lucky Communications,
D-211/18, Laxman singh complex II, Munirka,
New Delhi.

No, Sir....

The Indira Gandhi National Open University advertisement for the Bachelor of Education Programme (B.Ed) published recently made me hark back to the turmoil and trauma I experienced a few years ago.

This is because IGNOU and several such universities present a peculiar, unreasonable eligibility criterion for the B.Ed course: "the candidate should be an in-service teacher with two years' full-time teaching experience on a temporary or permanent basis in any primary, secondary or senior secondary school recognised by the State or Central Government."

I would like to ask the proctors of these institutions how a person can become a teacher prior to getting qualified for it! Can an individual become a doctor before acquiring an MBBS or equivalent degree? It is only to take up teaching as a profession that a person applies for the B.Ed course. Though the NTT and DIET courses enable one to take up a teacher's job, if this is what is indirectly sought for, it should be explicitly mentioned and made a mandatory condition. Moreover, the university heads should realise that completing either of the two courses first and then working for two years before taking up the B.Ed course is an impractical idea, especially in this day and age when the youth yearn to get a good job as early as possible and when inflation has made it binding for almost all of us to earn in order to have a reasonably decent living.

The consequence of such a criterion is that thousands of aspirants who wish to join the B.Ed. programme in these universities are left disenchanted every year. I request the authorities concerned to revise the eligibility criterion and thereby help deserving candidates enjoy a bright career in this field.

Manasi Gupta,
M.Phil. II (Philosophy),
University of Delhi,
Delhi - 110 007.

Lost in mail

I sent an envelope containing a demand draft for Rs. 25,000 along with a new money purse containing a 20-rupee note to my son studying in SASTRA, a deemed university, in Thanjavur (Tamil Nadu) through Professional Couriers, C228, Kotla Village, Mayur Vihar Phase I, Delhi, on May 13. The envelope was returned by the courier on May 20 with a "missing" report. The returned envelope contained only the demand draft.

I sent a complaint to the courier through registered post and Under Certificate of Posting for recovery of the stolen articles and a proper explanation for not delivering the letter. The registered letter was returned to me as "unaccepted".

I am appalled by the unprofessional conduct of the courier. The authorities concerned must act now to make up the loss suffered by me.

S. Chakravarthy,
604, Block III, Kirti Apartments,
Mayur Vihar Phase I Extension,
Delhi - 110 091.

Unsung heroes

How many functions were held to mark the anniversary of "Operation Vijay"? None.

It is really a sad commentary on the working of our Central and State governments. The common feeling among the families of Jawans who sacrificed their lives in wars and proxy wars is that they were looked after initially but nobody bothers about them now. Such families feel alienated after some time.

The martyrs of our wars and those who sacrifice their lives in proxy wars for the sake of the country should be remembered and their families must be looked after by us all. For God's sake, don't forget them.

Dr. Naresh Raj,
34, Power Colony,
Patiala - 147 001.

(Letters for this column may be sent by e-mail to wsins@thehindu.co.in. They must carry the full postal address of the writer and should be marked "Reader's Mail".)

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