LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Letter to the Editor comes under long writing composition and in the category of formal letters. Newspaper is a powerful medium to reach out to a larger number of people and express our views on important issues of social, political and economic concern. Letter to the editor of a newspaper provides an ideal platform to common man to:
- To voice his/her grievances and concern
- Give suggestions on an issue of public interest
- Writing complaints about issues related to common/ public interest.
- Expressing views on an issue already raised.
Value Points about the Format:
- There is no Indentation
- Begin with the margin on left-hand side
- Space to be left between different sections and paragraphs
- Omit punctuation marks in address, date, salutation, etc.
Points to Remember:
- Para 1: introduce the problem/ issue concerned
- Para 2: Causes and reasons for the problem
- Para 3: Impact/ Consequences
- Para 4: Suggestions/ measures to be taken
- Express your views clearly
- Conclude the letter on a positive note
- Use the simple but forceful style
- Develop ideas logically and sequentially
Format: same as the formal/ official letters.
Sender’s Address
Date
Receiver’s Address
Subject
Salutation
Content
Subscription
DISTRIBUTION OF MARKS:
Format -1
Content- 2
Organisation – 1
Accuracy of spelling & grammar-1
FORMAT
| 88-H Model Town —————- SENDER’S ADDRESS New Delhi 23 July 20XX ——————- DATE The Editor The New Indian Express KG Marg Delhi-01 ——————– RECEIVER’S ADDRESS Subject (as mentioned in QP) ——————— SUBJECT Sir/Madam ———————- SALUTATION Introduction Content Conclusion ———————— BODY Yours sincerely/truly/faithfully ——————- SUBSCRIPTION Akansha —————— NAME/SIGNATURE |
SOLVED EXAMPLES
Q1. You are Rishi/Rishika, residing in KP Nagar Kannur Kerala. You have observed with increasing concern that garbage collection continues to be done without segregation in your neighbourhood. Write a letter to the editor of The New Indian Express, Kannur in about 120-150 words, explaining your concern along with the rationale behind the importance of garbage segregation.
K P Nagar
Kannur
23 August 20XX
The Editor
The New Indian Express
Kannur
Subject: Importance of Garbage Segregation
Sir
I am Rishika, a resident of KP Nagar, Kannur and through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I would like to express my views on the importance of garbage segregation. Proper waste disposal is a grave problem that we all face in our residing areas. Garbage is collectively dumped in dumping sites without proper segregation due to which not only the organic waste get rot but also recyclable products are lost. Moreover, health related problems arise when waste is thrown away without segregation. Failing to segregate waste properly means it will end up mixed in landfills releasing run-off into the soil and harmful gas into the atmosphere.
There is an urgent need to effectively segregate the waste generated, to recycle dry waste easily and to use wet waste as compost. Separate garbage bins properly labelled, must be kept outside every society or by roadsides to segregate the waste. The authorities must implement the waste hierarchy; reduce, reuse, recycle. RWAs of different societies should also come forward to promote waste segregation practices.
Garbage Segregation helps reduce the amount of mixed waste that ends up in landfills, makes recycling more accessible and improves public health. So it’s our collective responsibility to practice garbage segregation. Hope my concern draws the attention of the concerned authorities and responsible citizens to do their bit to improve their environment and health conditions by practicing waste segregation.
Yours truly
Rishika.
Q2. Write a letter in about 120-150 words to the editor of The Hindu describing the importance of medical tourism for India. You are Rohan/ Roshini of F202 Gulmarg Apartments, Pune.
F 202 Gulmarg Apartments
Pune-23
17 July 20XX
The Editor
The Hindu
MG Road
Pune
Subject: Importance of Medical Tourism
Sir
Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I wish to draw the attention of readers toward one of the fast-growing industries in India- medical tourism. India has always been one of the favourite destinations for tourists from every nook and corner of the world. They find the rich cultural and architectural legacy of our country very attractive and unique. But now over a decade, India is thriving as a medical tourism destination.
People from Africa, the Middle East, Russia and many other countries visit India in search of cost-effective and high-quality health care services. A high recovery rate under the treatment of some of the best and most highly qualified doctors in India also establish a firm trust on Indian Medical services. Hospitals are well equipped with latest technologies, services and facilities provided are at par with Western countries but at a much lower rate which is one of the biggest reasons for the boosting of medical tourism.
In addition to modern allopathic medicine, India boasts several other alternate traditional treatment options like Ayurveda, Naturopathy, Homeopathy, Unani and Yoga–Cure, attracting large medical tourists.
Medical Tourism is gaining immense popularity and flourishing. The high-quality and affordable medical services provided to foreigners improve our economic and political relations with other countries and enhance the image of India.
Thanking You
Yours sincerely
Rohan
Q3. Write a letter to the editor of Deccan Herald projecting the problems of the housing cooperative society to which you have recently shifted. You are Priyansh of F-202 JLB Road Srividya Housing Cooperative Society Hubbali.
F-202 JLB Road
Srividya Housing Cooperative Society
Hubbali.
14 April 200XX
The Editor
Deccan Herald
Hubbali.
Subject: Problems faced by the residents of Srividya Housing Cooperative Society.
Sir
I am Priyansh, a resident of Srividya Housing Cooperative Society and through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I would like to draw the attention of the concerned authorities towards the problems faced by the residents of our society. The society made high claims of providing a good ambiance and providing modern facilities to their residents at the time of allotment. Unfortunately, the reality is in stark contrast.
The society is a grim and pathetic place that needs immediate attention from the authorities. The roads inside the society have many pot-holes that are the major causes of accidents in the society, especially during rainy seasons. There are no street lights on the main road leading to the society which causes a lot of inconvenience to all. The possibility of major accidents and thefts too can’t be ruled out. There is no proper arrangement for waste disposal. Garbage mounds at different places are a common sight and have become the breeding grounds for many diseases. Stray dogs are a menace in the society.
Many appeals have been made to the authorities but precious little has been done in this area so far. I hope the concerned authorities will rise from their deep slumber after reading this column and provide much needed basic civic amenities to the residents of the society.
Yours truly
Priyansh
PRACTICE QUESTIONS
Q1. Recently you saw a news on television where the police were behaving brutally with the peaceful protesters. Write a letter to the editor of The Tribune expressing your concern about the brutal behaviour of police towards the demonstrators. You are Sujal/Sujala of 211, Dilshad Garden, Delhi.
Q2. You are Mohit/ Meena, a resident of 83 Model Town Guwahati. You are facing an erratic supply of electricity in your locality. Write a letter to the editor of a local daily regarding the situation and the inconvenience faced by the residents.
Q3. Write a letter to the editor of a leading newspaper expressing your concern over the nuisance created by stray animals on roads and streets. You are Pramod/ Pramila of B-31, Modi Nagar, Ahemdabad.
Q4. You are Saksham/ Sakshi of Mumbai. You are disturbed by the non-availability of essential commodities in the Fair- Price shops in your area. Write a letter to the Editor of the Mumbai Times drawing the attention of the authorities to the irregularities in the Fair-Price shops.
Q5. Road accidents are a widespread occurrence in India. Traffic law violations are the primary cause of road accidents. Write a letter to the Editor of the Telegraph highlighting the causes of road accidents and the need to adhere to traffic rules to curb these accidents. You are Sahiba/ Angad of 231 Ranjit Avenue, Amritsar