Advantage, the corrupt

  I have read with keen interest Mr Hari Jaisingh’s article “Advantage, the corrupt: blunted instruments, missing will” (September 11). Much has been said about corruption among politicians, bureaucrats, government servants and others. During the past 30 years, corruption has been growing at a superfast speed, despite many crusades against it. It is now synonymous with words like scams, hawala, scandals, rackets, school/college admissions, transfers of government servants, donations, plot/house allotments, recruitment, etc. The list is endless. I, however, feel that the main cause of corruption — delay — has found very little mention in the Press. It is said that delay is the deadliest form of denial. Delay breeds corruption. Justice delayed in justice denied, as we know.

There is a general feeling among the public that there are abnormal delays in the disposal of cases in government offices. The common man has to wait for months to know about the fate of his request or complaint. Even a simple query remains unanswered. It is a common joke that to move a file from one table to another, the wheels of the file need oiling at every step.

ANUP KUMAR

New Delhi

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MORAL DECLINE: “Reversing the corruption-prone trend” is, of course, an uphill task. But reverse we must this steady decline in our moral standards, as the current wave of materialism is playing havoc everywhere.

I think moral education must be introduced in all the schools. Teachers must be persons of integrity and impeccable character, capable of inculcating the lessons of uprightness, purity and truthfulness in tender minds.

S.K. SHARMA

Hoshiarpur

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VESTED INTERESTS: Corruption has turned the whole administrative system into a machine of manipulation. Vested interests dominate the system so much so that neither honesty nor efficiency can take roots.

While on the one hand governments have been constituting committees and commissions to probe the element of corruption in the administration and the role of politicians and bureaucrats in scams and scandals, in practice we have made a mockery of these bodies. First, it takes years before the reports are finalised. Secondly, the government is very likely to shelve or reject the report for political reasons. And, finally, if at all the report is made public, the follow-up action is likely to get diluted or take years to bring the guilty to book.

VED GULIANI

Hisar

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INEFFECTIVE LAWS: Of course, there are laws to eradicate corruption. My opinion on these laws is conveyed in the words of J.J. Roche:

The net of law is spread so wide,

No sinner from its sweep may hide.

If meshes are so fine and strong,

They take in every child of wrong.

O wondrous web of mystery!

Big fish alone escape from thee!

VIVEK SINH MAR GIRAN

Kurukshetra

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CRIMINALS IN POLITICS: The basic problem is that corrupt politicians are getting elected again and again. Even criminals are getting elected. One major factor responsible for this is that these corrupt politicians have established their vote banks. They appease people and give undue concessions on the basis of caste, religion, etc, and obtain their loyalty. This helps these corrupt leaders to flourish in power politics.

Money earned through corruption has given rise to money-power and criminalisation of politics.

ANAND PRAKASH

Chandigarh

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FIGHT IT THROUGH TV: The Press should have a fixed page regarding corruption cases. Then, on the pattern of “India Debate”, “Session with Seshan”, “Rubaru” “Face to face”, “Aap ki Adalat” “Janata ki Adalat” and “Question Time” there should be more programmes on TV. This system will provide more opportunities to air ones views. Debates across the table will expose the corrupt thoroughly. Better proposals will come in for checking corruption.

HARI OM MITTAL

Ludhiana

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Release enhanced DA

The Central government’s decision to release one more DA instalment for its employees and pensioners, with effect from July, 1998, is welcome especially in view of the Diwali festival falling next month.

The Punjab government should follow suit and pay the arrears to its staff and pensioners before Diwali.

YASH PAUL GHAI

Ludhiana

For “appropriate” car

In The Tribune of September 12 I came across a report “Haryana govt. asked to file reply”. As I went through it I found that it was not only amusing but surprising also.

Amusing because an IAS officer had gone to the Punjab and Haryana High Court with a writ petition that the official car allotted to him was not consistent with his status as senior bureaucrat. It was heard by a Division Bench. During the course of arguments the court had asked what post he held. The petitioner, who was present in the courtroom, replied , “OSD, Manpower and Planning”. The Advocate - General had told the court that an “appropriate ” car will be provided to him.

It seems the “appropriate” car offered to him was also not considered sufficiently appropriate and was not accepted. Hence the present application to which government has been asked to file its reply. The case stands adjourned till the 18th of September.

The surprising part of the episode is that while it is a matter of common knowledge that the courts, as always, are already overloaded with cases of urgent and important nature, an IAS officer has found it expedient to display his status ego through a writ for priority to decide whether the car given to him by the government for official duty is appropriate or not for the purpose.

TARA CHAND SAHI

Chandigarh

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CET: flouting quota rules

The country’s reservation policy has played foul with the career of many meritorious students. There is no end to their frustration.

But, then, pushing such students to the brink can never be acceptable. Institutions and their heads should not be allowed to play with the career of students by being selective in their choice of implementing the reservation policy formulated by the government, the implementation of which is mandatory.

I wish to point out that the Patiala-based Thapar College of Engineering and Technology and Punjabi University have till date not taken notice of the revised reservation policy of the Punjab government in the case of admissions to be made through CET-1998. As a result, the wards of defence/paramilitary personnel are not being extended the constitutional facility of 4 per cent reservation of such seats.

What pains parents like us — who have spent decades serving the nation in most difficult terrains — is that Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar, the Director, Technical Education and Industrial Training (Punjab) and the Secretary, Higher Education (Punjab), have, despite many reminders, taken little initiative to ensure that the reservation rules are implemented in letter and spirit.

Capt K.K. SHOREE (retd)

Panchkula

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Law of attraction

In his write-up “Human spirit must always triumph” (Sept 6) Mr I.M.Soni has given some useful hints on achieving success in life.

Generally, success in life is ascribed to good fortune, and people forget the honest and hard work, the ability to get along with people and the difficulties and hardships surmounted which led to that success.

A person gets in life what he deserves and not what he wishes. If a person is not satisfied with his present environment and his income, and wants to increase his earnings and get a better environment, he must increase his ability and put his heart and soul into his work.

A man builds from within and attracts from without — this is known as the law of attraction. It teaches us that a man attracts to himself the environment according to what he is. When a person is able to change himself for the better, it is then nature’s job to provide him with a better environment. He then need not go in search of success here and there, for it will come to him itself as it is ever in search of men of excellence. The saying goes that a jewel cannot remain lying on the roadside for a long time. Someone will pick it up and get it fixed in his ring or her necklace.

The purpose of human life is not merely to earn a living and eat, drink, sleep and procreate. As a man’s nature is multisided, he needs an allround success. A clear understanding of this great law is the key to a successful, healthy, happy and prosperous life.

Of course, money is desirable but only as much as is essential to lead a comfortable life. A man who is always busy in accumulating more and more money neglecting his health, worldly duties and responsibilities and ignoring spiritual aspects of life, hoping that money is everything will be disillusioned at the end. He will not be able to purchase health or spirituality with his vast accumulated wealth.

Material “success” cannot compensate a man for his lack of spiritual and emotional happiness. He may be having all the material comforts of life and yet be unhappy. We all observe it in our daily life.

A. K. SURI

Chandigarh