This is with reference to your news report ‘After French win, Sania sets sight on London’ (PM, June 9). Congratulations to Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza! After Vishwanathan Anand, it is now these two who have brought pride to our country. It is a happy turn of events that the trend of sports in India is changing — rather than being monopolised by cricket.

Another positive sign is that parents allow their kids to participate in the sport of their choice rather than pushing them into cricket or football. Now that achievements in other sports are being applauded, I hope the government will do the needful for the betterment of the sport as a whole as well as for sportspersons, coaches and others involved.
 
The corporate sector should also come out with sponsorships and scholarships for sportspersons. Good luck to Sania for the London Olympics!

-  Preeti Nagraj

  Road of pleasure 

Apropos your news report ‘Fixed decrees of grade separation’ (PM, June 9). What a pleasure it is to drive on that stretch now! PCMC is far ahead of PMC in this regard.

The long stretch of road from Sandvik at Kasarwadi, through Pimpri,Chinchwad and Nigdi has been in existence for some years now, with the grade separator, and is as good as the Pune-Mumbai Expressway.

The two flyovers on Ganeshkhind Road from Hotel Pride upto the University make driving a pleasure. But they took an enormously long time too. We need more such flyovers fast, as well as the much-discussed overhead Metro.

-  K Rajaram

  Making way for palkhi  

It was heart-warming to read of Dehu residents willingly demolishing their properties to make way for Sant Tukaram’s palkhi in ‘Pilgrims’ Progress’ (PM, June 10). For once, the administration did not evacuate anyone by force, nor take away land they didn’t want to give.

That the villagers are willingly doing the work themselves means there will be less scope for corruption or exploitation. I hope the work will be done in time for the palkhi.

-  Garima Mathur

What a difference to read about villagers giving up land for palkhi, without being bullied into submission by authorities. I only hope the compensation promised has actually reached them.

That officials only step in when help is needed and don’t (literally) bulldoze their way. Since it is their land, they have a greater understanding of how to go about any procedures concerning it.

-  Gaurav T

  Keeping books alive 

Your report ‘Book Keeping’ (PM, June 10) was a good read. It’s nice to know that in this day and age, with a severe lack of space and time, there are still those who maintain their personal connection with books.
 
I have seen people getting the perfect bookshelf designed and filling it with books that will look good on the shelves, but will never be read. A library, added to over the years, is different. Glad there is still place for such things in our busy lives.

-  T Bapat