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NEWSNOTES
DESPATCH
Killing Apace In Race For Profits
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RISKY MOVE: Crossing a road in Kolkata
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Kolkata: Rupa Dey, 32, was dropping her
son Sumit off at his school in the congested Sealdah area when a bus came
hurtling towards them. Though Dey managed to push Sumit aside, she was
crushed to death. The private bus then hit Dey's friend Kaushalya Mahato
and her son Surit who also studies in the same school. Sumit and Kaushalya
are now out of danger, but doctors fear they might have to amputate one
of Surit's legs.
That was just one of the series of tragic road
accidents in the city on September 28; the day's toll left six dead and
five injured. Since then, seven more people have died on Kolkata's roads.
A major cause for the high accident rate is that Kolkata's roads are too
narrow. The number of vehicles in the city rose from 4.96 lakh in 1991
to 7.78 lakh in 2000. With many of these being badly driven minibuses
and private buses, Kolkata residents risk their lives each time they cross
a busy road.
It's obvious why private buses are driven rashly:
in addition to a fixed wage, the poorly paid drivers and conductors get
a 24-25 per cent commission on the sale of tickets. So they pack in as
many passengers as they can and speed past other buses to get more. With
no solution in sight, Kolkata's streets remain death traps.
—Labonita Ghosh
OBITUARY
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JOSEPH ALLEN STEIN
1912-2001
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The partly sunny,
partly shaded atrium of the India Habitat Centre in Delhi best describes
its creator's vision: to build a sustainable ecology in an urban context.
Pioneering architect Joseph Allen Stein spent 50 years in India realising
his vision-shaping distinctive complexes like the Triveni Kala Sangam
and the India International Centre in the capital. He passed away at his
son's house in North Carolina, US, on October 6.
When Stein accepted the West Bengal government's
invitation to join the department of architecture at the Bengal Engineering
College in 1952, he could not have foreseen his long rendezvous with India.
But after designing a five-year architecture course for the college, he
stayed on, designing the townships of the steel plants at Rourkela and
Durgapur, the Ford Foundation and WWF buildings and the Australian High
Commission. He was awarded the Padmashree in 1992. Stein's vision lives
on in his uniquely designed buildings.
SIGNPOSTS
ABANDONED
The final match of the 107th IFA Shield football tournament, 30 minutes
into the match, after a fight between finalists Palmeiras of Brazil and
East Bengal. Spectators and policemen also joined in the attack on the
Brazilians who were one goal up.
AWARDED
To N.K. Ambasht, chairman, National Open School, the Nehru Literacy Award,
for his contribution to the field of adult education. Ambasht is an authority
on non-formal and tribal education.
DIED
Pratima Gaonkar, 19, athlete and silver medallist at the Ninth Asian Junior
Athletics Championship held in Brunei in July this year, in mysterious
circumstances. Gaonkar's body was found in a well in Dabal village in
Goa. She had been selected for this year's SAF Games.
 SUSPENDED
The crew of Alliance Air flight CD-7444-comprising commander Ashwini Behl,
co-pilot S. Sahay and four air hostesses-after its handling of the hijack
hoax on October 3 that kept the entire nation on tenterhooks.
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