Editor,
The sacrilegious act of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in demolishing the cross in West Bandra, has come as a shock to the Christian citizens of this country. The cross that had been there for over half a century, a cherished religious symbol of both the Christians and non-Christians of the locality, was standing on private property and not even on a public space. The sacrilegious act of mowing it down with a JCB is the greatest insult to Christians in India. It is a contemplated vicious act of an authority that is highly polarized on religion. If the BMC had just respectfully displaced the cross to another location, that would not have hurt the sentiments of the people. But the fact that it had been unceremoniously demolished is an unpardonable crime. I do not think the Court (if it had acted with a true sense of justice) would have permitted such a sacrilege. This is a crime not only against a minority but against religion itself. When the cross which is the most important religious symbol of Christians is desecrated publicly, it affects the sentiments not only of the people of West Bandra, but of all Christians across the world. For this reason, whoever has been responsible for such a crime should be brought to book immediately. As a member of the Catholic Church of North-east India, I, for my part, strongly condemn such an act of desecration and I hope that more similar voices will come forward to do the same.
Yours etc.,
Barnes Mawrie SDB
Via email
Of unnecessary traffic diversions
Editor,
I share the concern of Anjan Kumar Das, who pointed to the diversion of traffic exiting from MUDA Parking lot towards Jail Road before driving back to Police Bazar. I wish to draw the attention of the Traffic Police to another such diversion at Rhino junction. Vehicles approaching the junction from Kenches Trace and Last Bus Stop are made to take a complete circle from Anjalee Petrol Pump and proceed towards Civil Hospital. Now what makes this affair tedious is when there is a massive traffic jam right from Rhino junction all the way to Military Hospital and Mawlong Hat. Vehicles that are not bound for Military Hospital or Mawlong Hat are also unnecessarily stranded in that traffic jam. I wonder why these vehicles are not allowed to take a right turn from the Rhino junction itself.
While diversions could have multiple purposes, at least two of them are (a) to divert vehicles towards a particular destination and (b) to simply ease traffic congestion. While the first is defeated the second does not seem to help much as many vehicles are converging at the same place and we are still stuck in traffic jams.
Today, traffic jams have become a way of life for Shillongites and I am also conscious of the fact that it is challenging for the Traffic personnel to manage traffic especially during school hours. Their efforts are commendable. However, it becomes an even greater challenge for us common people as we are not allowed to ignore the NO ENTRY/NO RIGHT TURN/NO PARKING signboards. But what is galling is that VIPs are exempted from all these rules. If only VIPs give up their unwritten rights over the road rules and instead, try and understand the plight of ordinary people then some constructive steps can be taken to manage traffic better. But will they ever?
Yours etc.,
Jenniefer Dkhar,
Via email
Generic medicines
Editor,
It is a welcome decision by the Modi government in bringing in a legal framework under which doctors will have to prescribe generic medicines, which are cheaper than equivalent branded drugs, to patients. PM Modi has rightly stated, “Doctors write prescriptions in such a way that poor people do not understand the handwriting, and they have to buy medicines from private stores at high prices.” Promoting the generic drugs industry is good but there should be strict quality control as it is a matter of people’s lives. It is generally true that generic named products are less expensive than their brand equivalents. It is reported that 90% of the domestic Indian pharmaceutical market deals in branded products. If government implements a rule that doctors must prescribe only generic drugs, a patient will, in most cases, still end up buying a branded drug as generic medicines have low margins. It is rightly pointed out that since advertisement of prescription medicines are not allowed in India, companies or medical representatives push their products through doctors, chemists and distributors in lieu of freebies, junkets and incentives.
It must be amended in the new regulation that every physician should prescribe drugs with generic names legibly and preferably in capital letters and he/she shall ensure there is a rational prescription and use of drugs. The generic medicines if available across medical shops will be welcomed by one and all and in one way we can stop multinational companies from looting our money in the name of brands. We also need strict rules for doctors and hospitals charging high rates and doctors prescribing unnecessary tests, x-rays, MRI scans, etc., just so that the hospital can increase their revenues.
Yours etc.,
Vinod C. Dixit
Ahmedabad -15