The Hindu : New Delhi News : Friend of India

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 21, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

New Delhi

New Delhi

Friend of India

It is noteworthy that the first man to set foot on Mount Everest in 1953, New Zealand’s Sir Edmund Hillary, who died at the age of 88 in Auckland the other day after a lifetime of service to the Sherpa community to which his fellow-Everester Tenzing Norgey belonged, had a close India connection.

He served as New Zealand’s High Commissioner to India after presenting his credentials to President Rajendra Prasad at a well-publicised ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhavan. The New Zealand High Commission in New Delhi now is located on Sir Edmund Hillary Marg. It is only appropriate that everyone from President Pratibha Patil downward has mourned his death.

The present New Zealand High Commissioner in New Delhi, Graeme Waters, and his deputy, Ms. Heather Ward, would do well to consider instituting an annual essay contest from now on for Indian children on a topic pertaining to mountaineering.

Vinod Chowdhury,

Senior Reader in Economics, St. Stephen’s College, Delhi – 110 007.

Yesterday, today….

Returning home every evening is as harrowing today as it used to be 30 years ago. I wish some kind soul had drawn a line on the Capital’s metro railway map southward too at the conceptual planning stage. After pumping in thousands of crores to make Delhi a world-class city we feel let down like never before. Vehicles on the roads range from Bluelines, Sumos, bikes, carts, tankers, big cars, small cars and much else. The more varied the traffic, the more the danger, especially when everyone seems to be in such a tearing hurry. People have extended an overwhelming response to the new ‘Nano’. My apprehension is that, being the small car it is, it will be a hot favourite with the traffic cops who would be able to tow these away very easily! Two beautiful roads in South Delhi are completely vandalised today. The one earmarked for the much talked about High Capacity Bus Service corridor is torn into thin strips and the Outer Ring Road stretch from IIT to Vasant Vihar is being shockingly denuded of tree cover. Giant stumps of many trees appear sad and forlorn. I remember the days not long ago when a drive through these roads used to be such a pleasure with magnificent trees providing soothing shade during summers and stalls of fruit sellers with cherries, plums, green almonds and melons lined up all along, adding so much colour to the roads.

You could also hear the chirping of birds and humming of bees or catch squirrels playing in the thick foliage of trees. Those magnificent sights will never again appear in my lifetime.

Wonder if another “Chipko” movement might save the damage?

Dr. Aarati Saxena,

Sri Venkateswara College, Delhi University South Campus, New Delhi.

Hello, Airtel….

I received a call on my mobile phone (99974-48310) from Airtel on December 28 saying: “In just Rs.154 get six months’ validity and Rs.25 talk time.” I subscribed to the facility the same day and the balance on my mobile was Rs.41. But shockingly, when I checked my balance on January 1, I had only Rs.17 left over though I had made no phone calls or sent any text messages during that period. I talked to a Customer Care executive who told me he could do nothing to help me. When I called again, a lady operator said I had subscribed to “background music” facility whose monthly rental is Rs.20.

When I told her that I had not asked for any such scheme, she snapped back at me. Then she gave me a number (543213) through which I could get the facility disconnected. When I dialled that number, there was only one message playing: “To subscribe to music, press 1”!

I tried calling Customer Care again but failed to solve my problem. Is this how a big company like Airtel should be robbing its customers? Is it paying its brand ambassador Shah Rukh Khan out of its customers’ “stolen” money?

Shadan Alam,

Shadan Alam Moshir House, Street 4, Greater Azad Enclave, Aligarh – 202 002.

Wrong number

It’s exactly one year since MTNL claimed it would be providing its broadband customers a minimum speed of 2 MBPS -- from January 1, 2007, that is. But I can count tens and hundreds of exchange levels even today, such as 2766, 2381, etc, which still have the minimum speed of 256 KBPS, sometimes even less.

I would strongly urge the MTNL authorities not to exaggerate facts and make such lofty claims unless the technical feasibility along with your officials’ will power is ensured in advance!

Vikas Kapoor,

Lecturer, Department of Political Science, Ramjas College, University of Delhi, Delhi – 110 007.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi

News Update

Stories in this Section