Safe rail travel
The maxim goes, “Speed thrills but kills” (Editorial, “Tragic track”, June 6). The obsession with speed and development at all costs leads to tragedies. No amount of inquiry will bring back those we have lost. There is a story that there was once a team of officials from the erstwhile Soviet Union conducting a survey on the functioning of the Indian Railways. Their report had the line, “Now, we also believe in the existence of god”. A developing country such as India does not need Bullet or state-of-the-art trains, but trains that ensure safe journeys.
C.G. Kuriakose,
Kothamangalam, Kerala
The Indian Railways now operates goods and passenger trains with more carriages and rakes, and with enhanced speed. Therefore, loop lines at stations must be lengthened far beyond their present length. Inbound train pilots must have sufficient distance and time to check whether a loop line is occupied by a stationary train (at the station).
P. Vasudeva Rao,
Secunderabad
Relocation dynamics
Elephants are social animals. Once an animal detaches itself from a herd, it can get very difficult. In the ‘Arikompan’ case, the elephant appears to have acquired an unusual taste — for rice in urban dwellings. Any amount of relocating such animals after a stressful capture may not be favourable for the animal and human habitats nearby.
Dr. V. Purushothaman,
Chennai
New innings
The reader community would like to extend its congratulations to the new Chairperson of The Hindu Group Publishing Private Limited, Nirmala Lakshman (Page 1, June 6). Long-time readers expect her leadership will usher in a new era of balanced perspectives and diverse opinions. As technology continues to shape the media landscape, one hopes that the publication remains at the forefront of innovation, engaging with readers across platforms.
P. Sreenivasan,
Chennai
In the appointment of Ms. Lakshman as the new Chairperson, readers extend her a warm welcome on board what is an illustrious media group. One must also laud the services rendered by the outgoing Chairperson, Ms. Malini Parthasarathy. That the daily will uphold journalistic ethos and report news as it happens is the only expectation that discerning readers of this age-old newspaper have.
R. Mahadevan,
Chennai
