M A I L B A G

Improving the working of our courts

Apropos of Mr J.S. Toor’s article on “Courts: How India can learn from Canada” (Perspective, Oct 5), it is not possible to emulate Canada in our courts for various reasons. There is so much difference between the two countries — the people, the environment, the work ethic, the resources and so on. The quality of justice surely depends upon these factors.

I filed about nine petitions in different courts. In five petitions, I appeared in person before the lower court, the Delhi High Court and the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Cases concerning my appointment took some months whereas the one regarding the declaration of my result of a class took five years in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

A petition, once admitted, can take 10-15 years time. No judge wants to take up the old admitted petition and decide quickly. Advocates too do not want to explain the position as they would like to collect a higher fee from their clients depending on the delay in the disposal of the case by the courts.

In this age of e-governance, short petitions should be computer-typed on a standard size paper duly prescribed by the court. Its gist at a glance will help. Only advocates with five years of experience should file and appear before the courts. For five years, junior advocates should assist their seniors who should pay pocket allowance to them.

Om Parkash Wadhwa, Gohana

Adapting to the idea of adoption When the couple is not blessed with children, they naturally feel disturbed and upset. The way out often suggested is adoption. It seems an easy solution but it can be fought with problems as illustrated by Inderdeep Thapar’s piece (Her World, September 21). No doubt, revealing to the child that he or she is adopted is very important and that too at the right age. In my opinion, when the child is in the fifth or sixth class, he/she can be told about the adaptation by his/her natural parents themselves, but after convincing the child fully about their love and care and that the adoption makes no difference to the love of the adopting parents towards the adopted child. If revealed at a later age (in case of orphans), the child may be shocked, may not believe and may start tormenting himself with doubts about his actual parentage. Was he an illegitimate child whom the mother had forsaken due to fear of social ostracisation? So was he actually a bastard? What if his friends came to know? They would taunt him and make his life miserable. Besides, the method and style of communicating the information is also important and should be decided according to the circumstances and the personality and temperament of the child. What is most important is that the child should never feel rejected. Otherwise, there can be many psychological and behavioural problems that can be manifested in bad habits too. No doubt, by adoption an orphan benefits by getting a family and may be a better life monetarily. But these are not the only considerations which are of primary importance. What is more indispensable is that the security of love, care, unity, togetherness and harmony should be of the same fibre that cements a natural family together. This promised care should not be belied by the subsequent distress and anguish that a child can feel after knowing about his adoption. Adoption is good for it can provide homes for the homeless and an emotional blanket for those deprived of a family. There are many adopted children happy and settled despite knowing of their adoption. The problems discussed above should not be a deterrent to adoption but should only make everyone concerned in adoption of children aware of these problems, for, the whole point is that, in the end, the child should not be the loser. K. M. Vashisht, Mansa

Need for introspection

Ms Taru Bahl’s “Cheating as a way of life” (Spectrum, Sept 28) should make many of us to sit up and introspect whether a mindless and mad rush for luxuries and materialistic comforts in the Western style has not spoiled our general peace of mind as well as the basic cultural ethos. It is a well established socio-economic fact that craving for undeserved aspirations and ambitions generally tends to lead one to unethical and illegal ways of life.

If we pause and analyse our present style of life and the youth’s impatience to reach the climax of professional success in no time, we may be able to trace the origin of many of our socio-cultural maladies. Achievements in life and progress in one’s profession are desirable but they should not always be measured with the monetary benefit they bring. It is a false sense of glamour and lavish lifestyle that have often forced even the intelligent and agile minds into planning frauds and entering the dangerous world of crime.

Our modern generation needs to understand that the dream of discovering true happiness can be realised only by maintaining a balanced coordination between material aspirations and one’s cultural and ethical duties. A man in the lap of material luxuries without a sense of duty is like a brute animal while culture without materialistic attainments would be hollow and unimaginable.

Ved Guliani, Hisar

Joshi’s contribution

Reference Mr Harihar Swarup’s column “Joshi: Waiting for Prime Minister” (Sunday Oped, Sept 28). The forte of Union Human Resource Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi is his courage of conviction. He is perhaps the only Minister who has brought about radical corrections in the history text books, despite vociferous opposition from the vested interests.

The nation will be ever thankful to Dr Joshi for purging many a look of the absurd falsehood interpolated by the forces inimical to the country i.e genetically, politically and socially diseased minds.

One knows verily that though the scientist from Allahabad is happy at the disappearance of the symbol of Moghul barbarism, as every patriotic Indian is, he has had no role in the process of the removal of the stigma. Dr Joshi's resignation was a very simple matter. But the way in which our media blew it up showed the utter depravity to which our scribes stooped to malign the BJP.

Chaman Lal Korpal, Amritsar

Secret of success

Apropos of Neeraj Bagga’s article “A record-setter of sorts” (Windows, Sept 27), it was an informative piece of writing. The brilliant feats of his knack performed by Surinder Singh Azad are incredibly amazing and mind-boggling. The way he has earned name and fame is praiseworthy. Eleven records in Limca Book of Records for a superannuated man, who is still going great guns at sixty plus, are really marvellous.

We have a lot to learn from Mr Azad's record-setting achievements. A task, irrespective of its enormity or triviality, should be taken up seriously and earnestly to accomplish it. It is sheer dedication, single-mindedness and strong will power that can enable a person to surmount any hurdle, minor or major. Some tiny and light tasks taken frivolously become mountains hard to climb. It is determination, persistence, constancy, curiosity and confidence that pay rich dividends if applied purposefully. Mere day-dreaming and talking can't fetch anything tangible. It is whole hearted devotion and concentration that result in the success of a job, big or small.

Record makers and breakers believe in doing things with panache and perfection. So nothing should be taken lightly. Whatever we do, let’s do it with all our might, devotion, sincerity and solemnity. And that is the secret of success.

Tarsem S. Bumrah, Batala

Vedic fantasy

This has reference to Mr Manohar Malgonkar's article “Vedic fantasy to come true?” (Spectrum, Oct 5). The writer is more sentimental and less aware of the historical facts. He quotes a shlok in Sanskrit which has names of seven rivers: some of northern India and some of southern India. On the basis of this shlok, he concludes that the Vedic rishis made the people of the land conscious of the oneness of the country.

Though the intention of the writer is good, yet his basis is without solid substance. The shlok he refers to, is not a Vedic mantra. It is not found in any of the Vedas. The language of the shlok is modern Sanskrit, that also incorrect grammatically and not the Vedic Sanskrit in which the Vedas are composed.

The Rigveda (10-75-5) refers to the following rivers which were the main rivers of Punjab: The Ganga, the Yamuna, the Shutudri (the Sutlej), the Parushni (the Ravi), the Saraswati, the Asikni (Chenab), the Vitsta (the Jhelum), the Arjikiya (the Vipas-Beas) and the Sushoma (the Sindhu). The Godavari, the Narmada and the Cauvery referred to in the shlok are not found in any of the Vedas. Can true national integration be built on the basis of false facts?

Surendra Ajnat, Banga