Failure of top order batsman responsible for Team India’s defeat
With the crushing defeat of Team India in the semi finals at the World Cup tournament, the dream of billions fans has crashed. The Indian team perhaps failed to make the most of the rain affected day and the pitch conditions favouring an easy score chase. The massive collapse of top order batsmen for just 1 run and quick fall of wickets without a formidable partnership only thus resulted in disastrous loss and final exit from the World Cup. The failure of top order batsmen to chase a meagre target of 240 runs under 50 overs cost the Indians the world cup title.
Though the toss played a crucial factor to lose the game, it is ironical to note that the middle order and tail end batsmen were unable to chase a meagre target of 40 runs under 5 overs. Sloppy batting has only affected the overall performance of the team, despite following-on for the second consecutive day of the semi finals. It is high time now for the team to highly introspect batting and bowling performances and change the guard immediately as necessary.
Finally, ICC should take a stand to declare the rain affected match as a completely washed out event and start a new game on the reserve day. Such a decision will give both the sides a fair opportunity to claim the title especially at crucial stages like semi finals. Even the archaic Duckworth Lewis method of calculating the run rate to defend the score in a rain affected match needs an immediate overhaul by ICC.
Varun Dambal
Shoddy work responsible for pot-holed roads
The BMC constructed roads developed potholes within a fortnight as the work is being carried haphazardly overnight. Mumbai has one pothole for every hundred citizens and this number is huge as the city has a population of around 1.5 crores. Citizens are hapless and have no choice as grievances fall on deaf years. The huge fines imposed for parking under certain restricted zones is blackmailing citizens which is unfair in a democratic set-up. If citizens are made to pay heavy fines for not following the law, then why are BMC contractors not booked for potholes that develop on account of inferior work carried out by them?
Mumbai has double the number of potholes than vehicles. State government should fix the potholes and give us good motorable roads before they penalize us for unlawful parking. The taxes we pay should be optimally utilized and the public made aware of the account statements for the contribution they make towards nation building.
S.N. Kabra
Make clay available to sculptors at reasonable price
Environment-friendly organizations advise use of paper-pulp for making Ganesh-idols during Ganesh Chaturthi festival because the idol which is brought home should be eco-friendly. It has, however, been proved through experiments that paper-pulp after dissolving in water, causes more pollution; so how can this option be eco-friendly, is the question. Moreover, as per science, Ganesh-idol worshipped during Ganesh-festival should be made of clay. There has been considerable increase in number of people bringing home, Ganesh-idols made of clay; but idol made of clay is costly as compared to idol made of ‘Plaster of Paris (PoP), therefore, all Ganesh-devotees cannot afford to purchase such idols. The government makes an appeal to celebrate eco-friendly Ganesh festival on one hand while no effort is made to make available idols made of clay at low cost. As such, sculptors also give priority to make idols from PoP. All Ganesh-devotees would afford to buy idols made of clay if the government makes available clay to sculptors at low price. This will help all devotees to bring home eco-friendly Ganesh idols.
Jagan Ghanekar
Fare reduction a right step by BEST
The reduction of BEST bus fares to Rs 5 for a journey of up to 5 km is a good move indeed. The BEST should’ve thought of this long back instead of having to incur losses all these years. Now I hope more people will travel by bus instead of travelling by share autos and share taxis.
With the reduction in fares, I hope the conductor has the change to give back to passengers who give them Rs 10 note for a ticket of Rs 5.
Jubel D’Cruz
Simultaneous elections need of the hour
It refers to 10 Congress and 3 JD(S) MLAs quitting coalition government in Karnataka with more quits from ruling coalition possible in days to come, thus possible of fall of state-government just formed after elections recently held in October 2023. Prime Minister is stressing, and rightly too, for simultaneous polls to Lok Sabha and all state-assemblies. But how is it practical if mid-term elections may be necessitated through such fall of state-governments.
Only remedy is to elect Chief Minister (or Prime Minister) simultaneously with Speaker and Deputy Speaker by secret and compulsory elections through EVMs equipped with VVPAT on nominations signed by at least 34-per cent members with abstaining members losing right to vote in the House though retaining its membership. Such elected incumbents may be removed only through same process but with compulsion to name alternate leader in the same motion. This procedure can be tried in Karnataka now with certainty of fall of state-government. Heavy expenses made on air-lifting of MLAs outside the state-capital for ultra-luxurious stay in resorts or five-starred hotels just to tighten them in grip of political bosses for saving or falling governments should be probed.
If political-uncertainty continues in Karnataka, then mid-term elections can be held in February 2020 with that of Delhi state-assembly polls. Elections for state-assemblies of Jammu-Kashmir, Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Bihar may also be held in February 2020 by keeping Haryana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand under President Rule for some months and pre-matured dissolution of Bihar state-assembly so that any next election may be held only in February 2022 by similar clubbing of elections for state-assemblies of Assam, Goa, Kerala, Manipur, Puducherry and Punjab. Elections to rest other state-assemblies may then be held in February 2024 on similar lines with Lok Sabha elections by pre-mature dissolution of Lok Sabha by few months to make February as permanent election-month.
Subhash Chandra Agrawal
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
