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Shortage of resources?
The editorial ‘7 billion people and the resource crunch! Who is the real culprit?’ (TSI-Nov 13), exposes the blame game of the developed world against the developing countries with regards to growing world population. It is a matter of universal concern that world population has reached 7 billion putting pressure on available resources. It is also to be admitted that rate of population growth is more in developing countries. But population and consumption doesn’t go hand in hand.  The editorial niftily analyses the consumption pattern and uncovers that the developed countries are consuming and wasting far more than third world countries. In other words, the developed nations are more responsible to the shortage of resources through their sumptuous consumption pattern. The sooner the developed countries realise this, the better for all.
Jyotis Chandra Sarkar
Kolkata

Arrogance of power
Seema Mustafa’s article on the volatile Syrian situation (TSI-Nov 6) is a disturbing one. The French foreign minister’s warning to the current Syrian regime is not only a warning to the ruling class but to all peace-lovers. Given the volatile political nature of the Middle-East, the warning  smacks arrogance. But who gave the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, commonly known as NATO, the right to interfere in the local politics of democratically elected countries? Ultimately the United States, England, France, and other countries who comprise NATO, all have remained colonial empires. Who can forget the French intervention in Algeria, and the American efforts to ‘liberate’ Vietnam, Iraq etc. Worse, they should not try to divide Syria on religious lines; if they do so, they will be playing into the hands of fundamentalists. One Afghanistan is enough. So, instead of indulging in weapon dropping, these countries should use their diplomatic skills in promoting democracy and peace in the Middle-East.
S Ganesan
Pudukkottai

Citizens of future
Children are the future of a country. And to flourish their merit, talent, creativity and positive thought, the social citizens, governments, political and social leaders, and media need to provide a platform with suitable environment. By focusing on some talented children in cover story (TSI-Nov 13), The Sunday Indian group protects media’s responsibility towards a better  and constructive future, and its scope to function as an independent body, free from external interferences or intimidations. We need to understand that children should not be treated as talented or dull on the basis of simple arithmetic judgment. It is more important for a child to become a genius than to depend on inherited talent. Children should not be used as puppet to achieve adults’ goal. We should carefully fight for them to make them responsible, honest and skilled citizen of future.
Uttam K. Bhowmik
Dhalhara