:: Letters to Editor

Pagan ritual or a party night?

Oct.31 : Sir, The pagan feast of Halloween is foreign to Christian tradition. It is nothing but a superstitious and empty way of imposing mindless triviality. This day has its origin in the Celtic New Year which celebrated the return of the spirits of the dead to their homes. Hence, those who observe Halloween — although they are probably ignorant of what they are doing and why they are doing it — are in reality celebrating death, the devil and hell. The observance of Halloween is mixed with Christian festivities whose meanings are totally contrary to Halloween. On November 1, Christians celebrate belief in the communion of saints. On November 2, they make visits to the cemetery as a religious and profoundly human gesture, inspired by their hope in resurrection. I encourage Christians to celebrate the Christian truths of these days with renewed faith, as a response to the real concerns of mankind today.

Tim Storey

Tottenham Court Rd, London

david shepherd: a great umpire

Sir, Among our great cricket umpires, David Shepherd has brought so much life even to dead matches. Even while handing out seemingly difficult decisions, he was charming, stylish and, always, unbiased. Along with Rudi Koertzen and, to a lesser extent Steve Bucknor, Shepherd took umpiring to heights which would be difficult to surpass. Shepherd is a classic case of umpires commanding the respect of the players and the public alike.

K.V. Vasudevan

Via email

 

Sir, The death of former Test umpire David Shepherd has removed a towering veteran. He always showed fortitude in enforcing umpiring rules and asserting his authority. Standing in 92 Tests, 172 One-Day Internationals, and three World Cup finals is no mean achievement. The world of cricket saw him as one of the best umpires ever. Shepherd will be sadly missed by cricket lovers everywhere.

N. Radhakrishnan

Via email

Calm china’s tibet fears

Sir, With reference to Srinath Raghavan’s article Tawang: Why China gets all worked up (October 30), it is time India tries to forge a cordial relationship with China and not take it lightly. It should think of ways to assuage Chian’s concerns about its attitude to Tibet. It should also not repeat the 1962 Hindi-Chini bhai-bhai blunder. The two countries can unitedly take on the world.

Priyanka Jaiswal

Via email

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Naxals are terrorists

Sir, Arundhati Roy’s suggestion that the Congress treats the Maoists in the same way as the Bharatiya Janata Party treats the Muslims is absurd. It is no more valid to attribute Naxalism to socio-economic disparities in our system. The way the Maoists kill innocent people and take on the symbols of the state confirms that they are perpetrating terror and, hence, are terrorists by another name. How else can we describe those getting arms and ammunition from other countries to spread chaos in their own land? Are they not the enemies of the nation? What can stop Pakistan-based terror outfits like Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Hizbul Mujahideen joining hands with the Naxalites with the evil objective of weakening the foundation of our country?

A. Vani

Via email