Football nostalgia
K Datta's 'Once was a time when we were champs of the continent' (November 13) reminded me of the Asian Games Football final in Djakarta. The Indonesian Olympic Committee had been suspended because the country had refused to allowed athletes from Israel and Taiwan to take part. India beat South Korea 2-1. Before 1983, football was India's prime game and I agree with both Chunni Goswami and Nayeemuddin's view that "considering the conditions under which the 1962 team won the Asian gold, " it was the best football team ever.
Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee, via email


Pill problem
With reference to 'Saviours or sharks' (November 13), more than a couple of decades ago, Life had brought out a series of excellent books on various subjects, including one on drugs. The very first line in the book on drugs said: "All drugs are poisons, though all poisons may not be drugs. " The human body maybe manipulated by drugs, but it ultimately throws them out as foreign bodies. Invariably, a drug produces a number of side-effects depending on the physiology of the patient.
RC Acharya, via email


Memory trip
I enjoyed reading Srijana Mitra Das' article 'Khansama's khandan' (November 13). It was a trip down memory lane, taking me back to the 1960s when I lived in Akola, part of the then-Hyderabad Nizam state. My father would take us to circuit houses, treating us to chicken curry, rotis, parathas and a grand finale of custard, cooked by these culinary artistes. All along, the elderly cooks would serve with a smile, coaxing us to have more. Thanks for featuring these unsung heroes of yesteryears.
Nobin Pradhan, via email