Northern tribes

Pradip Phanjoubam (' Outsiders At Home', Comment, May 12) is still very charitable to so-called mainstream India. In metropolitan cities like Delhi, people from our North-Eastern states are treated with much disdain. There would hardly be any local families who invite them to their homes and treat them with respect and make them feel welcome. When north Indians go to the South, West or East, they are often to be found criticising the local food and the manners, and mostly expecting everyone to be speaking in Hindi too, while never looking to learn the local languages themselves. In such an atrocious scenario, if simple, decent citizens of this country don't feel alienated, what else will they feel? We need change, soon.


Kuldip Singh, via email

No risque required

This refers to 'Taking A Risque' (Cover, May 12). Quoting the American composer and song writer Cole Porter so liberally, Anita Roy herself falls into the trap of 'anything goes'. Lifting other people's quotes and excerpts verbatim from 'Fifty Shades of Grey' only strengthens, ironically, the point that now 'while writing prose/anything goes'. And besides, making erotic female writings the cover story appears to be a cheap gimmick for TOI-Crest, which does not do justice to the high standards which the paper has set for itself. There might be several erotic collections of Indian female writers lined up for desi readers, but to give it prime space is a little demeaning for 'real' literary writers and more intellectual readers.


Vijai Pant, via email

Great gamers

The Afghan cricket team's remarkable rise under its able captain (' Chak De Afghanistan', Sport, May 5) is truly the best news to come out of the cricket world in a long time, not just out of that war-torn country. Mired in spot and match-fixing, the sport should honour the valour of these fearless Afghan cricketers. This story reminds one of the Liberian football team that qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations in the 1990s under George Weah, who also singlehandedly propped up that team by spending his own money - earned while playing for top European clubs. It's time our cash rich BCCI supported this Afghan team. By merely qualifying for the coming T20 World event, they've already proved themselves to be winners.


Devadas V, via email

The Crest effect

As an Indian cricket lover and an ardent fan of Team India captain M S Dhoni I would like to thank TOI-Crest for prominently carrying an article on the now-jaded MSD effect (' This is not the MS Dhoni we knew', Sport, May 12). Dhoni is clearly not the same cricketer he was even one year ago, when he took India to World Cup glory. Team India's test and ODI debacles have clearly affected him. I also like this trend of pointing out such trends. A few months ago, I recall your paper carried an article on A R Rahman titled 'Jaded Ho' - on how Rahman had lost his magic touch for beautiful melodies after winning those Oscars. And then Rockstar followed. I hope the lucky omen works again.


Anudeep Tiwari, via email