M A I L B A G

Why new universities?

SOON after its installation, the Punjab government set up two universities — Punjab Technical University and Punjab Medical University. Both seem to be non-starters as is apparent from the fact that both Vice-Chancellors resigned in disgust. The reason for their resignation seems to be lack of financial resources and clear goals for these institutions.

The motivation was most probably the success story of Punjab Agricultural University, but there is hardly any parallel between these. The agricultural and veterinary colleges at Ludhiana and Hisar were government institutions administered by the state government. Their transfer to the university was very simple and smooth. This is not the case with the medical and engineering colleges. For example, to integrate the staff of DMC,

The only purpose of setting up these universities seems to be the uniformity of standards. For this it is not at all necessary to have the paraphernalia of universities. The All-India Medical Council and similar other bodies exist to perform this role. The state government should ensure that the colleges not meeting the prescribed standards are not allowed to function and affiliate to any university. The motive behind some of these institutions is just to mint money, particularly in the case of dental colleges.

To my mind, the main reason for these universities having virtually flopped was that they were set up in a hurry. The acts for setting them up were passed within months of the present government coming to power.

The Act to set up PAU was passed in 1963. State, national and international committees started examining the proposal in 1955-56. A model Act was evolved at the national level, which formed the guidelines for the Punjab Act.

In the present case, the Acts were passed in such haste that even the name of the university was not given proper thought. It was named as Punjab Technical University, which in some academic circles in countries like the USA gives the impression as if it is meant to train technicians. The appropriate name should have been the Punjab University of Engineering and Technology. Further proliferation of universities and their names causes doubts about their genuineness and legal academic status. The old established and reputed universities like Panjab University were quite well-known institutions in the advanced countries, and students had no problems in getting admissions or jobs there. This is not the case with PTU, the graduates of which have to make strenuous efforts to convince academic institutions and employers that such a university in fact exists. Since this university came to being in 1997, without any proper preparation, it has not been able to, until recently, print and issue degrees to students. The students are running from pillar to post to get admissions and jobs. I know it to my cost, as my grandson, a 1997 graduate of this university, has been facing serious problems in pursuing his studies at California State University.

Setting up of these universities is certainly not a priority for Punjab, considering the resources and the felt need or the justification for them. The priority for the state is certainly not these universities, but primary education. We are said to be the richest state of the country, yet one of the most illiterate. Our rank in literacy is 17th among the Indian states! What a shame! Then why are our political bosses so keen to set up universities and not improve primary schools, particularly the village primary schools.

I went to a primary school in a remote village 75 years ago. The condition of a typical village primary school has not changed at all for the better all these years. The rural population by far remains illiterate, and falls prey to drugs and drinking.

One may ask as to why our political leaders are fond of opening new universities and not improving the primary schools. The simple logic is that opening a university makes headlines and improving primary schools does not make news. It is also a slow and tedious process which may not show any tangible results during the tenure of a state government. Yet, the honesty of purpose demands that unwanted universities should be scrapped and, instead, a commission set up to advise on policies and programmes which may make this state a highly literate, if not be most literate, one in the country. Will somebody listen?

SUKDEV SINGH,
former Vice-Chancellor,
Punjab Agricultural University
California (USA)

Satires on the self

In the write-up “Poet journalist” (“Chandigarh Calling”, January 10), it has been mentioned that scribe Sham Singh’s technique of writing verses is “lucid” and “they appeal to both imagination and emotion”. The following satire on the self by him has been specially quoted: “Sun oey Shamea, samein dya mamea /Paanian nu agg na tu la/Rooh de bularea, sach de pitamea/Ambran nu jaffian na pa.”

I am reminded of a few satires on the self by some famous poets. Mirza Ghalib said: “Ho ga koi aisa bhee ke Ghalib ko na jaaney Shaair to voh achchha hai per bad-naam bahot hai.”

In view of his jet-black complexion, Daagh Dehlavi said: “Daagh kee shakl dekh kar boley/Aisee soorat sey piyaar kaun karey.”

Allama Iqbal thus highlighted the contrast between his utterances and actions:

“Iqbal bara updeshak hai man baaton mein moh leta hai/Guftaar ka ye ghaazee to bana kirdaar ka ghaazee ban na saka.”

In Arabic, stork is called “Iaqlaq”. A columnist in The Zamindar, Lahore, with the pseudonym of Haji Laqlaq, said: “Voh usey jaanvar samajtey hain/Haji Laqlaq ko naam ney maara.”

All these satirical verses have poetic excellence and literary grace. Sham Singh’s satire lacks these qualities. It is just a doggerel. There is no poetic beauty in the expressions “samein dya maamea” (O’ maternal uncle of the time) and “sach dya pitaamea” (O’ grandfather of the truth).

Nawab Sir Omar Hayat Khan Tiwana was a great flatterer of the British Raj and took pride in being called “maama” (maternal uncle) of the “sarkar”. Sham Singh has described himself as the “maama” of the time. It is not understood how this doggerel appeals to both “imagination” and “emotion”.

In fact, very few Punjabi poets possess a great imaginative and creative power and write verses having harmony, beauty and sweetness in metrical patterns. The others have absolutely no knowledge of the system of verification and metrical structure and the skill of selecting elegant words, well-turned phrases and felicitous similes and the faculty of the mind to form graceful ideas. They are just dabblers in poetry and indulge in log-rolling in Kavi Darbars and praise the literary trash of one another.

BHAGWAN SINGH
Qadian

Falling water-table

In his letter "Ignoring valuable views" (The Tribune, Jan 6) the author seems to be surprised as to why the governments of Punjab and Haryana have ignored the valuable suggestion made by Mr. S.P. Malhotra of Panchkula for tackling the problem of the declining water-table.

The reasons are simple. This problem has arisen for the first time as in the past ground-water was never exploited. There is no readymade solution for it. The governments are slow and lack any spirit for experimentation and adopting innovative methods to find the solution of a problem.

Mr Malhotra's suggestion, howsoever beneficial it may appear, was after all the voice of an individual. It remained so for more than a year when he was making frantic efforts through newspapers to catch the attention of the public in general and the two governments in particular. Thus what is even more surprising is the fact that his valuable method never received the needed support from any other quarter.

In a democratic set-up it is the numbers that matter. If Mr Malhotra's method is really valuable, then more and more people should come forward to support it. Much depends upon the support from the engineering fraternity and organisations like the Institution of Engineers. Professionals from the agricultural universities can also give their views. Public interest demands that they should not remain silent spectators. The people concerned should come forward to help (force) the two governments toward off the impending danger by adopting the suggested technique or some other method.

KIRPAL SINGH
Karnal

Tailpiece

The Indian cricket team has lost all the six matches in a row in Australia.

A splendid sixer, indeed!

S. C. KAPOOR
Noida