M A I L B A G

Of public school educationists who live in the past

Apropos the article “A tall order & challenge for public schools” (May 27), I congratulate Baljit Malik for such a daring denunciation of educational muck that has accumulated in and pervaded now the entire class of educational institutions and, worse still, their continuing tendency of unashamedly cashing in on their earlier good name, befooling the public at a huge cost to the nation.

The psyche of the class of people apparently engaged in the management of such schools is similar to the British in India before independence, considering themselves as a class apart for all the wrong reasons. They are hardly aware of the present-day cultural, educational and socio-economic requirements of the country and, therefore, the plans and innovations necessary for the growth of today’s child into a competent, confident and committed youth of tomorrow. The educators and the educationists of these schools are still living in the past, have completely alienated themselves from the mainstream thinking in education, and are psychically frozen and, therefore, immune to the processes of modernisation of education.

In the garb of building the personality of a child, they indulge in sports & games for extra-sufficient percentage of daily time without paying any attention to the socio-emotional development of the child. Personality to these schools has meant the conscious or unconscious development of snobbery, unproductive and unpleasant dare-devilry and egoism. On the development of the cognitive domain of a child in these schools, the less said the better. The scholastic foundations of most of the children in these schools have a lot of disgusting room to reflect upon.

P. K. DHAR, Mandi Gobindgarh

Informative piece

Lt Gen Harwant Singh's article "Sekhon's exist raises many disturbing questions" (Sunday Tribune), is quite informative. The irony of the whole situation is that every institution has been politicised and if some quarters are left they are being wrapped in this system. Sekhon's episode, in the larger scenario is not new as highlighted by the writer himself the first being in 1962 under the nose of our first Prime Minister Nehru (Lt-Gen B.M. Kaul's case).

The politicisation of our defence services is most unfortunate where only merit should be considered for promotion and any behind-the-curtain act or "favour' will cost heavily. the leaking of Sekhon's letter should be probed because as the writer has apprehended it can lead to more disastrous events, if not checked. The person who has leaked out this letter would be having some personal interest and he can go to any extent to put national security at stake. The culprit behind the leakage should be punished and an example set in the defence forces.

Discrimination in the promotion of defence personnel has also been highlighted. This is also a source of heart-burn. Merit must occupy the top slot in the defence services and no compromise be made nor any 'undue favour' should be done. No doubt, it was Sekhon's lack of farsightedness that he sought favour 'in writing'. Had he adopted some other means (such as telephone, or personally meeting some high-ups like the one Mr Badal whom he wrote, unfortunately), Mr Sekhon must have achieved the goal and nobody could have had an inkling of the 'passage'. Mr Badal so far has not broken his silence on this episode. He is also expected to clear the mess. After all, he is also a party to this unfortunate episode.

Last but not the least, I would like to compliment the elite of the village Issewal — the native place of Sekhon who honoured him for his meritorious services. I read elsewhere that Sekhon was decorated for his meritorious service more than 17 times. Had the villagers not honoured this brave soldier of the Indian Air Force, he might have collapsed with the way he has been shown the door.

UJAGAR SINGH, Chandigarh

Laloo-style wedding

Three cheers to Santosh Jha for his coverage of Laloo Yadav’s daughter’s marriage.

When the reporter asked a common man about the dazzling marriage he said: “Hum kya bolen sahib/Humne kabhi suraj kabhi tara nahin dekha/Kis rang ka hota hai ujala nahin dekha/Youn shonk sabarne ka hum ko bhee bahut hai/Per humne kabhi apna hi chehra nahin dekha. How the daughter of Laloo got MBBS is widely known as there is no dearth of Sidhus in the country.

VILAS KUMAR, Chandigarh