How India lost to England

Gas prices vs property tax
This refers to the news report, ‘Deora’s dual pricing’, (DNA.Money, September 8, ). Union minister for petroleum and natural gas, Murli Deora’s concern for South Mumbai constituents is quite natural because he has been nursing the constituency, now being represented by his son  Milind Deora, right from 1972, first as a city father (BMC Councillor). 

Therefore, he is right in writing a letter to the Maharashtra CM  against the introduction of market-value-based property tax  calculation, which, if implemented, will impose a heavy financial  burden on the people. As we know, the South Mumbai constituency is full  of cessed buildings, where most of the occupants are poor/middle/lower  middle class people.

As regards his seemingly contradictory view that the markets should determine the price of natural gas, property tax cannot be compared to a daily use item like gas as the latter is always subject to market pulls and pushes.
PL Thomas, Mumbai

How India lost to England
India’s capitulation in the final match of the one-day series at Lord’s, gifting away the NatWest trophy to England after all the hard work of the previous two matches (‘Anti-climax’, DNA.Sport, September 9), is difficult to digest. Part of the blame must, of course, go to the appalling umpiring by Aleem Dar, who handed out dubious decisions against two players who are the mainstay of the Indian batting order — Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. But the real cause is the captain Rahul Dravid’s idiotic decision to bat under overcast conditions.

With the fiery Flintoff back in the England team, it was clear that the Indian batsmen would struggle, and not surprisingly, the Big Three — Tendulkar, Dravid and Ganguly — were back in the pavilion in no time. Once that happened, it was always going to be tough for India to recover, and we never did, despite some late fireworks from MS Dhoni. Hopefully, Dhoni would have learnt his lessons from this English tour on what mistakes not to make, as he captains India in the forthcoming Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa.
Suchitra Bose, Mumbai

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Though things did not go India’s way in the final match of the one-day series against England, we should give full credit to the Indian team for the way they fought to come back into the series after having been down 1-3. They showed tremendous spirit to win the sixth match despite being handed a huge total to chase, and they managed to keep the series alive till the final match.

We should not forget that seven matches in such a short span of time is a tough ask, and one cannot always count on the same level of intensity in match after match. However, this being the series decider, one would have expected the team to have been more focused. England were, and that is why they won, full credit to them.
Gopal Bankar, Mumbai

The ban on yoga
The ban on yoga seems to be an overreaction on the part of some Christian clerics anxious to protect their religion (‘Hindu group may challenge British church’s yoga ban’, DNA, September 6).

Yoga does have a base in Hinduism, but has no relation with religion. It prepares a person to face life, physically, mentally and spiritually. It is significant that yoga does not have any of the symbols of religion normally associated with organised Hinduism. Hindu scriptures also have treatises on medicine, astronomy, societal behaviour, etc.

You cannot presume that following them or believing in them will be detrimental to one’s religion. If it is so, the Ten Commandments would be blasphemy for a Hindu because it was given to Moses by God, and forms a part of Christianity and Judaism. Does it make any less relevant for a Hindu?
Anil P Bagarka, Mumbai

Troublesome ministers
Apropos ‘Ramadoss should stay out of top medical institutes’ (DNA, September 8), it is a shame that one minister can hold a hundred students to ransom. Politicians should be debarred from holding any other post/position once they are elected to office.
Behram Aga, Mumbai