Some decades ago, when a minister suggested an express highway to travel from one end of Kerala to another in six hours, many people raised similar objections, like claiming that the state would be divided into two (“No need for speed: Why Kerala’s new highways will exact a heavy price”). Earlier, politicians made such anti-development excuses but now they are pro-development since they understand that they will lose support as voters can see the progress and development in other states. We need a law to imprison people who spread lies to block development and make no positive contribution to society. – Sree Shiv

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The author says “Kerala has achieved enviable human development through social investment rather than material excess.” I do not agree. Kerala is a money-order economy. If the Gulf countries did not exist, there would have been a huge population of poor people. There is also no manufacturing sector in Kerala, unlike other states. Kerala has a huge number of educated unemployed people. I am from Kerala too. But these anti-development and socialist ideas are ingrained in the minds of Keralites. Please don’t encourage such articles. – Jacob D

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The author is describing a small segment of car owners in Kerala: I have never heard anyone saying that they enjoy travelling at slow speeds. The article also quotes foreign scholars, whose own countries have built express highways across their geography. In this new era, good roadways are the backbone of the economy and we all enjoy travelling fast and saving time. Human nature is to adapt. Regarding the environment, slow-moving traffic on narrow roads also wastes a lot of fuel. This is a typical anti-development propaganda being published by Scroll but it won’t work here. – Mithun M

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I am surprised that this article was published. Please travel from Kasargod to Thiruvananthapuram for a first-hand experience. Kerala can be a powerful growth engine for India with its strategic location: it is well-positioned to be the next Dubai, Singapore or Hong Kong. The state’s broken infrastructure is holding it back. – KSR Menon

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The people of Kerala have been using these congested roads for quite a while now, losing time and energy. Therefore, these roads are a necessity, not for undue haste and speed. The author mentions that he uses buses for long distance travel. These roads can help buses travel fast too, saving time. I speak as a retired chief town planner. – Ajaya Kumar

An Ambedkarite in the civil services

This is motivational and timely counselling for our 1980s generation, which is prone to self-harm (“Suraj Yengde: The test of an Ambedkarite is to learn the game but stay true to righteousness”). They suffer from a lack of self-confidence, self-worth, self-esteem and the spirit of struggling in life. I am from a remote village in Tamil Nadu, the son of illiterate, small farmers, who made me avail BR Ambedkar’s hard-earned education and employment reservations. I never felt inferior and successfully finished 34 years of civil service during which I served in various central government ministries.

As pointed out by the author, many officers from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes cut ties and betray their parents, relatives and community, but expect the community to support them when they are in trouble. They have proved Ambedkar’s anguish that my people have been betrayed by the educated, empowered and elite among them. – T Theethan

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