Suffering of cotton growers

THIS refers to the news-item "Cotton worth 1500 cr hit by pest" (December 4). I join the Agriculture Technocrats Action Committee in urging the Punjab government to set up a high-powered committee to deal with the problems caused by the American bollworm in the cotton belt. I wish the state government had initiated action in this direction on its own.

It is a misfortune that the last three or four cotton crops have failed, resulting in a great misery to the farmers. It is sad that the Punjab government remains virtually unmoved at the sufferings of the farmers, and no concrete steps have been initiated to help the cotton-growers to cope up with the menace of American bollworm.

I, a soldier-turned-farmer, who has suffered heavily on this account, crop after crop, appeal to the Punjab government to come to the aid of the growers in a more positive manner, instead of indulging in acts of pure gimmickry. Till today there is an acute shortage of DAP, and, therefore, sowing of the wheat crop is getting delayed.

Lieut-Col ONKAR CHOPRA (retd)
Chanan Khera (Abohar)

* * * *

India and human rights

Apropos of Mr J.L. Gupta's article, "Universal declaration: India's commitment to rights" (Dec 10), if liberty is "alcohol", as the author argues, then it has been exclusively enjoyed so far by the rich and the powerful of this big country. In India, the common people were forced to live in slavery and bondage for thousands of years. The remnants of this feudal tradition are still visible in lakhs of villages.

Feudal lords and capitalists are the present-day rulers. They control not only most of the factories and the fertile land of this country but also the TV and radio networks and all the big national dailies published in Hindi or English. They are busy trying to prove that the "divine social order" (read "varna vyavastha") is still relevant in a sophisticated way. Such people's basic job seems to be to try to hold down the poor and the weak as long as they can with a variety of methods. They have been spreading canards about the leaders and intellectuals of the underdog in a very systematic way since the days of the British.

Dr B.R. Ambedkar was perhaps the most educated politician in India during the freedom struggle, but he was hated and frowned upon by the feudal forces active in that anti-imperialist struggle. Such status-quoists felt alarmed by his academic brilliance. Certainly such people could not contain his growth, but they reminded him of the age-old caste prejudices. Some individuals of this thinking are doing research to prove that his contribution to the Indian Constitution was just negligible.

In India, the freedom of ideas is there, but the poor and backward people don't have the means to express them. They are given little space by the national dailies out of a sheer sense of pity for them.

The privileged sections of society get away with their tonnes of hatred for the poor and the weak in the garb of "sophistication".

I would like to express my dissent with the author on the question of equality. There is nothing like natural inequality in this world. All sections of society must get equal opportunities to grow and prosper. In India, there is nothing like fair treatment with the underdog.

Liberty in India is confined to a very few people. The toiling masses have not tasted it so far. They are still miles away from it.

RAJ BAHADUR YADAV
Rewari

* * * *

Contraband goods

Contraband items such as brown sugar, heroin, opium and charas are seized by the Customs, excise and security authorities every year and these are valued at crores of rupees. In this way the state exchequer should swell making it richer. While the detective forces feel elated by this creditable work done by them, the general public takes pride at the successful preventive measures by the forces. So far it has not been clear as to how these huge earnings are utilised by the government. The public is ignorant about the fact.

The prices of powdered drugs are many times more than that of the yellow metal. One kg of gold is valued at approximately Rs 4 lakh while the same quantity of heroin is priced at Rs 1 crore in the international market. But are such highly valuable items kept in their original form? We remember the incident of the seizure of 13 maunds of contraband opium which turned into bags of jaggery when the samples taken in the presence of a magistrate were declared in favour of the affluent accused. Thus, the seized property valued at lakhs of rupees was turned into a thing worth a few thousands. Is there any check on such mischievous acts?

JAI DEV SUMAN
Ferozepur Cantt.

* * * *

Hoshiarpur-Phagwara road

The condition of the Hoshiarpur-Phagwara road is pitiable. It is full of pot-holes, which are so numerous that it is impossible to avoid them even if you happen to travel everyday.

The road has been under repairs for the past two-three years. If one section of the road is being repaired, the other section repaired previously is already disintegrating.

Last year there were reports that all the roads in Punjab would be repaired till June, 1998. Last month there was an another report saying that all the roads will be repaired by June, 1999.

It is a mystery why this road cannot be reconstructed properly from one end to the other. It is very important for pilgrims from Delhi, Haryana and South-West Punjab for visiting the shrine of Mata Chintpurni, Jawalaji and Chamunda Devi. Many accidents have occurred because of the large pot-holes.

As this road passes through two districts, no administration seems to take up the job. One solution may be in making it a national highway linking the holy places of Himachal Pradesh with the rest of the country.

RUPINDER KAPUR
Hoshiarpur