Awareness drive

I was shocked to know that antibiotic resistance will kill one crore people a year by 2050, and that India will be among the worst-affected countries (‘The killers within’, January 12). I fail to understand why doctors prescribe antibiotics as first line of treatment, even for common cold. The government is not doing enough to ban certain unapproved antibiotics. To tackle the threat of antimicrobial resistance in our country, the emphasis should be on early identification of diseases.

 

An awareness drive should be conducted to educate doctors, the industry and the general population. Also, pharmacists should not sell antibiotics without prescription. Everyone should be made accountable.

 

Gaurav Nanda,

On email.

 

Overuse and misuse of antimicrobial drugs are a threat. Your cover story has given us enough knowledge on antibiotic resistance and what needs to be done. It has highlighted the need to have an integrated and holistic approach to overcome antimicrobial resistance.

 

Human health is closely linked to animal and environmental health. Awareness regarding hygienic practices, and a moral obligation towards protecting our environment, can go a long way in combating the menace.

 

Vijay Singh Adhikari,

Nainital, Uttarakhand.

 

Wrong decision

It may be logical that number counts, but the Centre’s decision to scrap political reservation for Anglo-Indians in Parliament and state legislatures was a blow below the belt (‘Survival, distinct’, January 12).

 

With heads held high, Anglo-Indians kept their identity steadfast and remained a hitch-free clog in the wheel of our diversified unity. Their angst and anguish cannot be construed as outlandish.

 

Raveendranath A.,

On email.

 

Why use cuss word?

Given the nationwide uproar against the Citizenship Amendment Act, and the subsequent bloody attempts to repress it in some parts of our country, Anuja Chauhan seems justified in holding strong views on the issue. However, using cuss word would only make one stoop low. Nurturing hatred for a cause may be fine, but one must vent out through the channels acceptable in society (‘Schizo-nation’, January 12).

 

Anuja should come up with nicer words, for she holds a place in the world of journalism where she can influence public opinion.

 

Gurjas Chahal,

On email.

 

Anuja and people of her ilk, in their delirious hate for Hindu culture, often distort words. They proclaim that the BJP and Narendra Modi are fascists.

 

When Anjua bestows her deep sympathies on intolerant persons and terms those who want to live peacefully with all divergent views as fascists, then we can rightfully say—“Your name is Anuja Chauhan and you are a ch****a.”

If the present government had fascist tendencies, opposition would have been completely eliminated by now.

 

H.S. Gopal,

Bengaluru.

 

THE WEEK should not have let Anuja use a cuss word like that in her column. Only very few Left-leaning Hindus will hold the placard that Anuja liked so much. You cannot generalise it and say this is what every Hindu in the country feels. That is wrong.

 

Anuja, I care for the idea of India, and 2019 was a great year for me. I am sure there are many like me.

 

Tapesh Nagpal,

On email.

 

Stop detention

India should not have any kind of detention centres. We are not a country that tortures its citizens (‘Holding pattern’, January 12). It was wrong on the part of the prime minister to have proclaimed there are no detention centres in the country, while the reality is different.

 

There is a lot of stigma associated with detention centres and that is the last thing we should have here in our country. There are so many jails for offenders. We do not need detention centres.

 

No Indian should be treated as a secondary citizen just because he or she does not have the birth records of his ancestors.

 

Vrinda Gopi,

On email.

 

So graceful

I have a lot of respect for Kajol. She is an actor par excellence. If I am not wrong, Tanhaji: The Unsung Hero is Kajol’s first historical film. She proved that an actor can be married and successful at the same time. We have very few actors who look so graceful always (‘Balancing act’, January 12).

 

Also, Kajol has excellent comic timing. She can make us cry and laugh at the same time.

 

Tigin Thomas,

On email.

 

Failed mission

There is no doubt that the foreign policy pursued by the NDA government has dented the good relations that India had been maintaining with the other nations, particularly with our immediate neighbours (‘Power point’, January 5).

 

Maintaining cordial relations with other nations requires a lot of suave diplomacy, which is lacking in our present day leaders. Though a career diplomat, S. Jaishankar is found to be undiplomatic in his deliveries.

 

When the BJP government is hellbent on implementing the CAA, the NPR and the NCR, as evidenced from the fiery speeches of Amit Shah, it becomes inevitable on the part of the external affairs minister to play the second fiddle and hard sell the schemes despite the damage such accusation of persecution of minorities are going to cause to our relations with Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

 

It appears that Indian diplomacy has gone for a toss and has suffered an irreparable damage as the external affairs minister has failed to handle the sensitive issue with utmost care.

 

Tharcius S. Fernando,

On email.