Too much for too little

Sir — It is amusing to see the media devote so much space to Mother Teresa’s ‘crisis of faith’ (“Another light”, Aug 26). Such crises are typically Catholic in nature, and are meant to facilitate the process of canonization. I would have liked to know what the Mother’s views were on contraception, abortion and women’s rights. It would have certainly made for interesting reading than her ‘crisis of faith’. It is strange to note that Calcutta continues to care for someone who only presented its squalor and poverty in front of the world.

Yours faithfully,
Aroup Chatterjee, London

Blood again

Sir — The recent death of a software professional in Salt Lake came as a shock (“Run over, techie lies on road as pilot van stops and speeds off”, Sept 13). Road accidents are part of the daily life in Calcutta. But this incident was particularly gruesome, considering that the young man’s body lay on the road for a long time and a minister’s pilot van passed by, without offering any assistance.

Calcutta’s roads have become virtual death traps. It would not be wrong to say that the city’s traffic is the worst in the entire country. Our ministers and bureaucrats make innumerable trips to cities like Singapore, London and New York. Why can’t they learn a thing or two from the traffic management systems there? In fact, they could visit Tallinn, Estonia’s capital. Estonia became independent only a few years back. Yet, it has one of the best traffic systems in Europe. The wide roads and speed checks make it safe for even children to travel alone here. It is unfortunate that Calcuttans are being denied their right to safe roads. The authorities must do something before more lives are lost.

Yours faithfully,
Abhijit Chatterjee, Tallinn, Estonia

Sir — The police in Calcutta are an indifferent lot. This was evident from the behaviour of the officer who refused to take Bejoy Dey to hospital after he had been run over by a car on the busy Nicco Park stretch. Calcutta has witnessed a spate in fatal road accidents recently. Surprisingly, neither the chief minister nor the police commissioner has announced any urgent measures to curb the trend. Presumably, they have other pressing concerns to attend to. Strict action should be taken against the officer of the pilot car who refused to take Dey to hospital. This could deter policemen from denying help to accident victims.

Yours faithfully,
A.S. Mehta, Calcutta

Sir — The Telegraph should be thanked for its relentless campaign against the lawlessness of Calcutta roads. The city’s unruly traffic causes the maximum number of deaths. But the killer drivers seldom get caught, as most of them owe allegiance to trade unions that have considerable clout in the government. The bus owners are also to blame. Despite repeated pleas, they have not discontinued the commission system, which encourages drivers to speed so that they can pick up more passengers. The government has done little, except making hollow pledges every time an accident takes place.

The media should continue its campaign against road accidents. This would hopefully compel the authorities to act sooner that they otherwise would. It would also be a good idea to publish the names and photographs of errant drivers and bring them to shame. Publishing stories on police officers who have done their duty, and also on those who have not, might motivate the force to be on its toes.

Yours faithfully,
Ranjan Khastgir, Calcutta