Off with their heads

Sir — Five epidemics in two years is testimony enough that all is not well with Indian poultry (“Tough-nut bird flu hits, speed holds the key”, Jan 16). The reason why the avian epidemic keeps hitting the subcontinent is the laxity with which the virus is controlled in the first place. In almost all the earlier cases, it has been seen that the government response has been half-hearted and inadequate. By the time preventive action got under way, the virus had already evolved further and mutated to a stronger antibody. There can be very simple explanations for the virus spreading to what the experts term ‘backyard poultry’. Either the sick birds did not show any perceivable symptoms of the disease and were thus allowed to mix with healthy birds or, very obviously, the sick birds were not culled. It is essential that the government holds awareness campaigns for villagers owning backyard poultries.

Yours faithfully,
Surajit Das, Calcutta

Sir — No matter what the official statistics are on the spread of avian influenza, the actual figures are inevitably higher. Cases of human beings being affected are sure to surface, with signs of a total administrative failure in containing the disease. According to WHO reports, the H5N1 virus has been known to affect humans in Pakistan, Myanmar and Nigeria. Given the general lack of sanitation in its rural areas, India needs to be doubly active in eliminating the disease as quickly as possible.

Yours faithfully,
H.N. Ramakrishna, Bangalore

Sir — Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, in his untiring enthusiasm for industrialization, has paid no heed to the needs of the agrarian sector. This lack of concern shows through in the uncontrolled progress of bird flu across the state. The situation is made worse by the fact that the virus has visited the state before, but the authorities seem to have learnt no lessons from that instance. The government’s animal husbandry department is not equipped with either modern technology or trained staff. Lack of awareness among villagers is also a reason for the disease spreading like wildfire. The policy of offering instant compensation to farmers who bring in their chicken to be culled will hopefully be implemented with care (“Fast pay fuel in flu fight”, Jan 19).

This epidemic is a blow to the nation’s economy as many of the poultry farmers have no alternate means of livelihood. The government should arrange for their rehabilitation.

Yours faithfully,
Subhankar Mukherjee, Burdwan

Sir — Now that the West is taking to vegetarianism, with celebrities giving up meat for greens, India has decided to catch up with the earlier fad of junk food heavy in meat — such as hamburgers and fried chicken. McDonald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken outlets are multiplying across the country, pushing meat and poultry sales up. Chicken may bring profits, but vegans clearly live longer.

Yours faithfully,
Shiv Shanker Almal, Calcutta

Sir — The poultry sector in Bengal provides substantial employment to large sections of the rural population; in addition, it offers nutritious and low-priced meal option for non-vegetarians who form the majority in the state. But the state and the Central governments have been largely indifferent to the needs and problems of this sector. There is no laboratory of international standard, where tissue samples from the birds may be tested for the flu virus. Samples have to be sent all the way to Bhopal, thereby slowing the process of combating the disease.

Yours faithfully,
G.C. Biswas, Calcutta

Sir — Now that the bird flu virus has been spreading untamed, the government should ensure complete safety for vegetarians by passing a regulation that insists on restaurants and roadside eateries cooking vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals in separate utensils.

Yours faithfully,
Madhu Agrawal, Dariba, Delhi

Sir — The southern states which handled bird flu scientifically could set an example for West Bengal. But then, it is too much to expect that government employees, who refuse to follow no-smoking rules in office, will do their duties in right earnest.

Yours faithfully,
V.S. Giri, Calcutta

Sir — The relapse of the avian flu in West Bengal proves that the government’s previous assertion that the H5N1 virus had been eliminated was completely untrue. The lack of coordination between the state and the Central government is more than apparent, the failure in implementing preventive measures all too obvious. There is also the familiar picture of all parties concerned blaming one another while no actual work gets done. The poor poultry breeders are left to bear the brunt of the gargantuan failure of government and the health officials. Is there so little value attached to human and animal life in the India?

Yours faithfully,
Farzana Z. Khan, Pune