Overrated team

• This refers to the Karachi debacle. I think it’s a bit of both — t...

• This refers to the Karachi debacle. I think it’s a bit of both — the bowling and the batting in the second innings were not up to the standard at all. Rahul Dravid should have sent in Sourav and Sehwag to open the innings. And Mr Tendulkar, when will you shine next? When it comes to performance in crunch situations, our famed batsmen are found wanting in both skill and application. This test was no different — Pakistan fought back bravely after being 39/6 and in the second innings their top seven batsmen all made scores greater than 50 showing admirable application and team spirit. In contrast, none of the top five Indian batsmen scored a 50 in the second innings!

— Saher Anjum Nagpur

No reason for ire

• While the protests by AAI employees against the privatisation of major airports are not surprising, their tactics to harass the ordinary passengers who are not responsible for this decision are deplorable. The main reason advanced by these employees — the anticipated loss of jobs — is not convincing. No organisation — Indian, German, or African — can operate successfully without an efficient workforce. The new operators of airports have assured jobs to over 60 per cent of the present staff. With the 10 per cent AAI promises to retain and the 15 per cent due to retire, those who may lose jobs are only the deadwood no organisation can carry.

— Kishore Karnad Baroda

The real question

• The question that comes up again and again is: is the protest good for our democracy? Must we be reassured that the AAI employees can exercise their right to express their protest? Or is it a simple case of our constitution being so weak that anyone can do anything, unmindful of others and the consequences?

— Abhinav Sharma Chandigarh

Spreading hate

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• One reads about acts of violence against Christians, and more so Christian missionaries. This rising spate of anti Christian violence is disturbing. It is happening all around but more so in BJP-ruled states. The aim of this violence seems to be to intimidate missionaries to stop their work in the field of education, which has the potential of empowering the Adivasis, which will be detrimental to the land grabbers, traders and contractors. As per census figures, the percentage of Christian population is declining. It is imperative that the central government intervenes and warns the state governments, particularly Gujarat, to put a check on these attacks. Also a social audit of the RSS affiliates, like Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram and Vishwa Hindu Parishad, which are spreading hate against minorities in certain areas, is urgently called far.

— Ram Puniyani Mumbai

Too young to win

• Generally awards are conferred after a pinnacle of excellence has been achieved. It is jarring that a youngster like Sania Mirza was conferred the honour this Republic Day even when she does not have a Grand slam under her belt. Nor has she won any big matches yet. A wag said that had the UPA waited till 2009 — the Year of General Elections — Sania would have improved her WTA ranking, but the UPA government may not be in power then. Then, L.K. Advani and Pramod Mahajan might be willing to hijack Sania even by gifting her a Bharat Ratna.

— M.S. Rajagopalan Ahmedabad

Bahraich faces new ‘wolf attacks’: 4 children mauled, 16 injured this month

Cities51 min ago

As many as four children have been killed and 16 injured in wild animal attacks, suspected to be wolves, in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich district this month — a chilling reminder of similar incidents that haunted the region last year. The body of one of the children is still missing. All those injured are adults, except for one child.

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