letters to the editor
Coach fire in Madurai
The tragic accident that befell a group of tourists from Uttar Pradesh (August 27) raises questions. It is illegal for passengers to have flammable items. It doubtless was a flagrant violation of the rule by the travel agency overseeing their trip. But even more egregious is the absence of surprise checks by the railway staff. It is common knowledge that such large groups maintain an onboard makeshift kitchen in their coach before its attachment to another scheduled train. The railways need to be cognisant of the hardships passengers face on chartered trips.
Kamal Laddha,
Bengaluru
Hatred in the classroom
The incident, where a teacher in Uttar Pradesh made her students hit their classmate is one that should make the nation hang its head in shame (Page 1, “U.P. teacher booked as she asks students to hit Muslim classmate”, August 27). It is a reflection of the inevitable consequences of spreading communal hatred for political gains. Things have come to such a pass that a teacher — a guardian who is entrusted with shaping young minds — now perpetuates hatred and discrimination. Swift and deterrent action must be taken against this teacher to send out a strong message.
Kurian Mathew,
Kochi
Moon-landing spot
Given the hard and smart work put in by our scientists to ensure a milestone in space exploration — the Indian “moon-landing” — it would have been prudent to have left the task of naming the specific “moon-landing spot” to our talented scientists. A scientifically developed nomenclature might help carry out further research with ease. Are our politicians listening?
A. Venkatasubramanian,
Tiruchi, Tamil Nadu