M A I L B A G

Religion and fundamentalism

Akbar tried to establish ‘Din-e-Ilahi’ but the fundamentalists did not let that happen. Then Shri Guru Arjan Devji, the fifth Guru of the Sikhs, compiled Shri Guru Granth Sahib in which he included the ‘Bani’ of known Hindu and Muslim saints and established the first holy granth of a common religion. The Granth Sahib still exists and the Sikhs have adopted it as their Guru and recite the Bani contained in it on every important occasion.

DALIP SINGH WASAN, Patiala

Lavish rewards

We in India, have started treating games as a great problem and great problems as games. That is why big firms are always ready to pay lavishly or give liberal awards to any player who shows some performance. Even the state governments are eager to participate in this race. Recently an award of Rs 5.00 lakh and a 500-square-yard-plot was announced by the Punjab Government for cricketer Harbhajan Singh. The question is not why players are given such huge cash awards. But surely it is a matter of concern why not a single teacher has been rewarded so lavishly for his or her good work in the field of education. Has an ordinary employee ever been rewarded in this manner for his honesty or sense of duty?

The builders of the nation are ignored by the government and those who simply entertain, whether they are actors or players, are loaded with honour and wealth.

This is one reason for our remaining under-developed. The people who deserve to be honoured are ignored.

ACHARYA NARESH VACHASPATI, Chandigarh

Foodgrain procurement

According to the Government’s procurement policy, the role of the FCI is being diminished and the states are required to make arrangements to procure foodgrains. The aim of the Centre is to control food subsidy which has gone up to the level of Rs 21125 crore. No doubt, the amount is alarming but states like Punjab and Haryana will not be in a position to procure wheat and paddy and maintain the minimum support price in the absence of the FCI. These states may not be able to do justice to the farmers from their own resources.

The states of Punjab and Haryana can do without the subsidy on PDS which they hardly need and which in any case does not reach the right persons.

These states need at least two or three years of joint procurement with the FCI within which period they can make the necessary arrangements for storage etc., according to their procurement targets.

B. S. SHARMA, Amritsar

Time to set norms

Mr Prem Prakash in his piece “Cleansing dirty Indian politics” (March 27), has rightly concluded that the nation cannot afford to let the corrupt strangle its destiny. The Tehelka affair has only highlighted what we all knew had been there. Today, Indian polity has not reached the levels of pious and higher principles or subtle ideologies to permit us to be at loggerheads with one another. We are still in our infancy and even the most basic needs of our masses have not yet been met with dignity or grace.

Our trouble lies not in our democratic institutions but in the persons who man them. In fact, this is the time to formulate certain norms and make them applicable to the people’s representatives and political parties. The voters and the free and impartial press deserve appreciation for keeping democracy alive.

JAYANT THAKUR, Hoshiarpur

State honours

This has reference to the controversy over the ‘generous’ distribution of national honours to some Indian cine artists. Just as an academic degree, even of the highest order, is no guarantee of one’s high intelligence or intellect, such awards, particularly when manipulated blatantly, also do not raise the recipients in the eyes of the public.

The debate will soon subside as we are used to such things almost at every level. For instance, a Punjab State Cultural Akademi recently honoured, its own vice chairperson for “promoting Punjabi culture”, namely “Kathak”. And not so recently its sister Akademi appointed a person who can hardly see because of some unfortunate eye ailment, as the sole judge of its annual exhibition of art. And recently he reportedly headed a committee that purchased works of art for Panjab University’s museum.

BALVINDER SINGH, Chandigarh

Dirty doggerels

Mr Swarna Ram, Punjab Cultural Affairs Minister, has called upon the writers and singers not to degrade culture and said that he would not hesitate to clamp a ban on indecent songs.

Most of the Punjabi songs, sung by singers at functions or broadcast by Doordarshan’s Jalandhar Kendra, do not reflect the culture we pride ourselves on. These are devoid even of literary grace and poetic excellence. These are just dirty doggerels. Certain bus drivers play such songs at a high volume, causing mental torment to women passengers. What is the contribution that the writers and singers of these vulgar songs make to literature, society and the nation?

The poet should write songs that promote moral values, communal harmony and social unity.

BHAGWAN SINGH, Qadian