A cover story on Nitin Gadkari was long due. What he has done by constructing roads, bridges and expressways is a miracle. This, without banging drums (‘Opposition uniting because BJP is too strong to be defeated’, August 6). Gadkari’s statement that, “In the next five years, India’s roads will rival America’s,” shows his grit and determination to carry out the tasks he has been assigned.
Gadkari’s amiable nature and sense of humour are traits that put him in a class apart and endears him to people.
Editor Philip Mathew aptly described his interactions with Gadkari. His letters always make for an interesting read. I look forward to reading them every week.
R.K. Mathur (retired air vice marshal),
Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
Your cover story on Gadkari was fantastic. He has assiduously brought changes in road infrastructure in the country. I hope it will help the Narendra Modi government to come back to power next year.
Anil Deshpande,
On email.
There is no doubt that Gadkari will provide world-class highways to India. Now, I need his help in cultivating responsible road conduct and fostering a culture of road safety among the youth. Also: school curriculum should include lessons on traffic rules.
Premchand Lengade,
On email.
Gadkari has done a lot, but I am not sure whether Modi and Amit Shah trust him the way they should. In fact, Shah might even see Gadkari as a threat to his rise in stature. It is at this juncture that I remember Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party levelling corruption charges against Gadkari in 2013-2014 period. But those allegations were not proved. Gadkari filed a defamation case against Kejriwal.
K.V. Pramod,
On email.
Imbibe humility
Your interview with Kapil Dev was very good; he spoke plainly without avoiding unpleasant issues. No other cricketer in India is as honest and blunt as Kapil (‘You don’t have to be a Mahatma Gandhi in cricket’, August 6).
I fully agree with Kapil that when too much money comes, arrogance comes. Almost all cricketers that we see today are arrogant. Cricket is a gentleman’s game and there is no place for arrogance in it.
Vyom Prakash,
On email.
Cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, V.V.S. Laxman and Anil Kumble were never arrogant. Yes, Sourav Ganguly brought aggression into the team, but he was not arrogant. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and other players of today are talented. But arrogance takes off the sheen from their talent.
I used to follow cricket closely till Sachin Tendulkar retired, back in 2013. And there are so many like me. Tendulkar was a gentleman, who believed his bat should do the talking. His humility was unrivalled. Just as they imbibe the passion for the game, aspiring cricketers should also imbibe humility.
Arjun Balakrishnan,
On email.
Kapil’s interview was revealing. Basically he is an emotional person who is highly sensitive. A legend that he is, Kapil brought glory to the game like very few cricketers did.
I feel the One Day Internationals should end and the ICC should preserve Test cricket. The 2024 World Cup should be the last ODI tournament to be ever played.
Shivam Tyagi,
On email.
Kapil’s observations of the influence of the IPL and the huge money involved are on the dot. It has become a norm for players to prepare themselves only for the IPL, and make a few crores per year. Money comes easily from it, and there are less chances of injuries. The players in the IPL, when selected for Test matches, are a failure; only some like Kohli and Sharma adjust themselves well. Young players who want to play for the country for long years must be told to prepare for Test cricket. How long can India depend on Kohli, Rohit, R. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja? They are getting old.
Kapil’s observation that young cricketers do not approach players like Sunil Gavaskar for guidance is a sad situation. [Here] he has lightly used the word ‘arrogance’. Learnings from Gavaskar, Ganguly, Laxman, Dravid and bowlers like Harbhajan Singh are a must for young cricketers.
Better late than never, Kapil’s wisdom should be taken well.
A.S. Nagesh,
On email.
Shome and Jaiswal
Pooja Biraia Jaiswal’s article on Tillotama Shome made for a very absorbing read (‘The disappearing act’, August 6). Jaiswal said Shome vanishes into her characters. Here one is reminded of [Russian theatre practitioner] Konstantin Stanislavski’s feeling of solitude in public in his book, An Actor Prepares (1936).
My letter is also about Jaiswal who writes without display, without her persona showing up. She, like Shome, ‘disappears’ each time she writes. A wonderful act for a journalist.
Usha Aroor,
On email.
Fan of editor
I have been a subscriber of THE WEEK for 25 years and I am a big fan of Philip Mathew for his versatility and proficiency in the English language. He presents things in such a manner that we are taken to the place of action. Great going.
I want him to write about every state, language, people, and landmark places in our country. There will be a lot of reader interest in it.
THE WEEK is cultivating a reading habit in young people, which is so good. I want to express my gratitude to the editor for all the great work that he puts in.
Guru Raj S. Desai
Raichur, Karnataka.