Letter to THE EDITOR: A healthy upsurge

A healthy upsurge

1983 was a milestone year of the nation's sporting history after the 1940 Men's Hockey Olympic Gold medal in Berlin. Kapil Dev's 'Devils' won the then Prudential Trophy at Lord's ground defeating the mighty West Indies in the final. Since then, there was a lull except for a few occasional triumphs. But very noticeably to our utter delight, we have watched a very steady upsurge in the nation's performances in sports at the international level, be it individual or team events. In team events, we have become a world-beaters in Cricket, Hockey, Badminton and in individual events like Boxing, Archery, Badminton, Wrestling, Javelin throws etc. In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, our athletes performed superbly winning gold, silver, and bronze medals for our nation making us proud. It should be a booster for our youths to take up sports professionally and seriously instead of going after some white-collar jobs.

The present government's initiatives to promote sports at the grassroots level have started yielding dividends. PM Modi's interactions with the champions are no doubt a booster for our athletes and a treat to watch except for our compulsive oppositions have so far not acknowledged shamelessly.

A healthy upsurge indeed! Keep it up.

Dr Ashim Chowdhury,

Guwahati

SC sentencing Sidhu

After 34 years the Supreme Court (SC) sentenced former Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu to a one-year jail term with a fine of a meagre Rs 1,000 in a road rage case, in which one person named Gurnam Singh (65) had died on December 27, 1988. I do not understand the judiciary. Even so to me, this case is the instance of one of the finest examples of judicial activism. Eleven years after the incident in September 1999, a trial court had acquitted Sidhu of all charges. Nine years later reversing the verdict, the Punjab and Haryana High Court, in December 2008, held Sidhu and his aide Rupinder Singh Sandhu guilty of homicide not amounting to murder and convicted them to three years in jail. Decades later In May 2018, the SC had set aside the order and SC had held Sidhu guilty of voluntarily causing hurt to a senior citizen and fined him Rs 1,000, but spared him the jail term. Finally, just four years later in May 2022, the SC realized and held that Sidhu must have been aware of the force of his hand, considering how he is a tall and well-built international cricketer, and "The blow was not inflicted on a person identically physically placed but a 65-year-old person, more than double his age." Due to Sidhu's bad temper, a family had lost its bread earner, but he roamed freely for 34 years outside jail laughing at TV shows, participating in elections and becoming grand old party Congress' Punjab president, helping to wipe out Congress from Punjab. It's the right time for Congress to sack him from the party. People wonder that Sidhu was convicted after 34 years of tireless effort and struggle by the victim's family, who have lost lakhs of rupees and mental agony, that too against one year jail (though the victim's family has thanked almighty for this verdict). But who knows whether Sidhu's Guru, ab jail ki chakki shuru will start or not? But the way he misused all his power in manipulating our weak judicial system, one is afraid that once again Sidhu should not create ruckus and confusion in the system, without going to jail.

Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee,

Faridabad 121005

Mental health is everything

Mental Health Awareness Month is observed in May. Mental health is an integral component of maintaining good overall health. Mental health covers emotional, psychological, and social well-being, and is an important part of total wellness and enjoyment. It also affects how we deal with stress, communicate with others, and make sound decisions. Mental health is essential for leading a happy life and every element of life is affected by mental health. Mental health is one of the most neglected areas of public health. Mental diseases affect around 1 billion people globally. People who are mentally ill are more likely to die young. Depression is one of the most frequent mental diseases and one of the leading causes of disability, according to the World Health Organization. At the same time, suicide is the second leading cause of death among people aged 15 to 29. Mental diseases are increasingly being recognized as significant contributors to the disease burden. According to a poll conducted by the Ministry of Family and Health, one out of every 12 older citizens in India suffers from depression. The mental disease affects 90 million Indians, according to the World Health Organization. It is also estimated that mental illness accounts for around 15% of all disease problems worldwide. The recent epidemic's social restraints, as well as the long-term economic effects, had a severe influence on mental health. We can cope with life's stresses, work productively, and make important contributions to our communities if we have good mental health. Maintaining mental well-being is crucial to living a long and healthy life. Remember that maintaining good mental health is essential for a healthy lifestyle. Put your mental health first, as it is one of the keys to a healthy body and lifestyle.

Dr Krishna Kr Vepakomma

Hyderabad-500045