Date:09/12/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/12/09/stories/2006120908371100.htm

Opinion - News Analysis

Corrections and Clarifications

The report "LDF retains Thiruvambadi" (December 8, 2006) stated that Left Democratic Front candidate George M. Thomas Mekkatt Kunnel retained the Thiruvambadi Assembly constituency, in a keenly contested bypoll, the result of which was declared on Thursday. A reader points out that while the LDF retained the seat, for the candidate this was a maiden election, and hence he cannot be retaining the seat.

A reader points out that the repeated references to "dwarfs" in the feature "The Lilliputians are here" — on the forthcoming film "Arpudha Theevu" (Friday Review, December 8, 2006) — are insensitive. He suggests midget as an alternative. The Oxford English Dictionary says in usage, the word dwarf, in the sense of an abnormally small person, is normally considered offensive. However, there are no accepted alternatives in the general language, since terms such as a person of restricted growth have gained little currency. The Spastics Society of Tamil Nadu clarifies that other acceptable terms are "a person of smaller stature" and a "vertically challenged person".

A reader points out that in "Ganguly, Pathan turn it around for India" ("Sport", December 8, 2006), Sourav Ganguly's score was missing in the scorecard. Ganguly's score of 83 was inadvertently missed in the early editions. The error was rectified in the later editions.

{gt}In the same edition, the report "New Zealand in control on first day" stated that Chris Martin finished with two for 37 from 16.4 overs. But the scoreboard gave the figure as "Martin 16.3-2-37-1." The Sports Desk clarifies that Martin took two wickets, as stated in the text, and not one as stated in the scoreboard. The error was rectified in the later editions.

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