Letters

Wealth of information

I am delighted to read the first issue of your magazine, which gave us a wealth of information related to issues on the environment. The cover story is interesting and exciting. I hope that this magazine will go a long way in the years to come. I wish it all success.

A B S V PRASADA RAO, Hyderabad ...

Maintain that "magazine" flavour

Your choice of the contents reveals a certain insight which gives the magazine a distinctive flavour. This is a rather difficult task, especially when one is dealing with a subject like the environment.

Some cartoons related to environmental subjects and more coverage of occasional activities undertaken by various environmental/non-governmental groups, I hope, would provide some more thrust to maintain the "magazine" character of Down To Earth. I found the "Analysis", "Classroom" and "Grassroots" sections of special interest to me.

I am looking forward to a bright future for this publication and will take pleasure in extending it every support.

R JAYASWAL, Bhopal ...

Celebrating Environment Day

By a strange, but apt, coincidence we received the first issue of Down To Earth on June 5, which is World Environment Day. I found the magazine very informative.

We hope Down To Earth will fill the vacuum in environmental information which exists at present in India.

Kindly continue the "Network" column. And here's one more suggestion: in the "Grassroots" section, please bring small functional organisations into the limelight.

R SELEVAM, Erode

Yes, we will. We request our readers to write to us about any good organisations they know of.
-- Editor. ...

Sharp edge

The first issue of Down To Earth arrived a few days ago. I've not had time to read it all carefully, but I've read a few of the articles. It is excellent albeit with a sharper political edge than I expected -- but I suspect that I'll gain considerable insight into how these issues look from your perspective.

DEAN ABRAHAMSON, Minneapolis ...

More case studies needed

I read through the first issue of Down To Earth. It is excellent. In the "Grassroots" section, I thought a more detailed item -- like a story/case study -- would help readers learn more about the "constructive work" that is going on. The theme could be somewhat broader to include all human and empowering work.

DEEP JOSHI, New Delhi ...

Missing elements

A few days ago, we received the first issue of your new magazine, Down To Earth. We found it very interesting and the cover picture by Rustam Vania was excellent.

I read the report filed by your correspondent, Malini S, "Resentment Sets Fire to Nagarhole" on the Nagarhole park fire, with great interest because we had met some tribal representatives from Nagarhole National Park and had heard their version of the story.

In this report, nothing is mentioned about coffee-planters; interests in the forest land. While talking with the tribals, it became apparent that it was they who suffered the most because of the incident. They were blamed for the fire initially, but that bid failed. The tribals were alienated by the coffee-planters and the forest department. The interests of coffee-planters in Kodava Ekokarana Ranga should be scrutinised. Perhaps, the Kodavas, specially the small or middle level coffee-planters, today resent the MPs and the forest department as such, but the tribals have reason to resent the Kodavas, too.

I wish your reporter had met the local tribals before filing her story. We feel very strongly about this because we've met the tribals and have heard the story of their struggle against the coffee-planters of the area.

SUDHANA DADHICH, Ambegaon (Pune district) ...

Big business

Environment a million dollar business the hungry ones are lapping at it with the recent discernment of what nations in business have done to earth, making it unfit for the striving hungry to progress and find their place on this already spoiled planet.

Well, we have also to be in this business and talk sense and business in this business of world environment.

L T GEHANI, Hyderabad ...

Photo competition

The Environmental Studies Association, in collaboration with the Horticultural Club, Kochi, University of Science and Technology, is planning to conduct a national-level photo competition and exhibition in Kochi on July 16 and 17, 1992, as part of its National Environmental Awareness Campaign. The theme of the competition is: "Towards A Quality Environment".

The last date for receipt of entries will be July 6, 1992. All entries should be sent through registered post to The Secretary, ESA, Lake Side Campus, Kochi -- 682 016. The size of the photograph should not be smaller than 17 cm x 12.5 cm. ...

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