In black and white

Sir — Stephen Hugh-Jones writes perceptively on gender bias and the English language, but overlooks racism (“No harm meant”, Nov 28). Thus black magic is evil but white magic is good. White money is acceptable, but black is not. Black-marketers, blackguards and black sheep are disreputable people, but a white lie is harmless. Black spot is a dangerous place and a black flag means protest. But white pigeons and a white flag stand for peace. With English becoming so politically-sensitive, we may soon be forced to learn a new vocabulary altogether!

Yours faithfully,
Md. Aslam Parvez, Calcutta

Look around

Sir — Gary Kirsten’s possible appointment as the next coach of the Indian cricket team only reveals the colonial hangover of Indians (“Now, Gary Kirsten is BCCI’s No.1 choice”, Nov 28). The persistent Indian craze for things foreign is shameful. Indian cricketers have performed remarkably well in T-20 matches, one-day internationals and Tests without a foreign coach to guide them. Former Indian cricketers have been as good as their counterparts from different parts of the cricketing world. Why cannot the services of national cricketers be utilized then? Being Indians, they would read the minds of the players and understand their problems better. Besides, an Indian coach could inspire a greater patriotic fervour in the team. It is time foreign teams started appointing Indian coaches.

Yours faithfully,
Madhu Agrawal, Dariba, Delhi

Sir — One remembers Gary Kirsten as a left-handed star batsman who played 101 Tests and 185 ODIs for South Africa. His skills with the willow were invaluable to the Proteas; his grit and temperament helped the South Africans cope with one crisis after another after the fall of Hansie Cronje. However, while no one can question Kirsten’s cricketing credentials, he has hardly any experience as a coach. By considering him as a future coach, the Board of Control for Cricket in India seems to have chosen fame over experience. The board has neglected stars such as Martin Crowe and John Buchanan. The last, a proven success as Australian coach, would probably be more effective than Kirsten. Lalchand Rajput, the interim manager of the Indian team, is apparently livid for being overlooked for the post. Given the team’s performance under him, he is justifiably miffed. While debates will continue about whether the former South African left-hander is the best man for what is arguably the toughest job in international cricket, the real question is that at a time the team is working as a unit, is it wise to bring someone new to the helm of affairs days ahead of the crucial tour of Australia? Is there a guarantee that we will not witness another Greg Chappell episode?

Yours faithfully,
Md. Ziyaullah Khan, Pune

Most incorrect

Sir — In a politically-correct world, many would readily empathize with the plight of Chetankumar Meshram, who was recalled to the United Kingdom owing to his faulty pronunciation (“Saar, go back to England”, Nov 29). Meshram, who was sent to Delhi to train staff, was found wanting in his knowledge of spoken English and recalled in the second week of his assignment. While this might have been a genuine case of racial discrimination, such a deficiency in an employee might pose a problem for the company. If the employee is found to be incomprehensible and fails to perform because of this shortcoming, this could become a valid ground for dismissal. Retaining such a person for the sake of political correctness would be most incorrect.

Yours faithfully,
Ranjan Sen, Calcutta