Toddy tapping
I write this letter as a retired (and first) Dean of Kanyakumari Government Medical College, Tamil Nadu. Every year, many fall victim to spurious (methanol-added) arrack. Those who are addicted to arrack consume this toxic liquor. To avoid this, the government must think of opening toddy shops. Toddy is a natural product from palm and coconut trees. In Kerala, coconut toddy is common and is cheaper than Indian-made foreign liquor and arrack. Farmers can generate income for themselves and the government as well. The government should grant licences to tape toddy from palmyra trees.
Dr. Arunachalam,
Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu
The state of the nation
On going through newspapers and watching television, one is left with the indelible impression that we are fast moving away from a civil society. In the toxic liquor tragedy in Tamil Nadu, it cannot be denied that officials are involved.
What is it that is going to result from an inquiry into the NEET fiasco? The examples can go on. This is the sorry state of affairs in India. There is hardly any probity in any sphere.
N.G.R. Prasad,
Chennai
Epic upset
With their brand of attacking cricket, the Afghanistan players have proved that they are no pushovers in the shorter versions of cricket when they prevailed over the mighty Australians in the ongoing T20 World Cup (‘Sport’ page, June 24). For a country sharply divided along ethnic lines, the Afghanistan cricket team has been a unifier.
R. Sivakumar,
Chennai