M A I L B A G

Insensitive to the voice of reason

Your thought-provoking editorial “Fatal corruption — a young engineer pays with his live” (Dec 5) is a pointer to the hollowness of our weak political system and corrupt and inefficient bureaucratic set-up whose criminal nexus thrives perpetually on the haplessness of the common people.

Anyone who fights the status quo pays the price like Satyendra Dubey, the brilliant IIT engineer who wanted to expose the corrupt. Your editorial has rightly demanded the implementation of the clean-up suggestion made by the slain engineer to the CVC.

It is really very sad that the land of Bihar where India’s first universities, Nalanda and Texla, were established, has gone to dogs. It seems the political bosses in Bihar have now become insensitive to the voice of reason since immediately thereafter there is another report of removal of the Bihar DGP, Mr D P Ojha, who was vocal in criticising his political bosses for their misdeeds.

B.B. GOYAL , Ludhiana

Bad roads in Solan

Solan is a fast-developing city of Himachal Pradesh. This beautiful town has quality infrastructure and amenities. However, as far as roads are concerned, they are bad. While the Solan bypass has got the status of a national highway, and it gets repaired twice a year, the old national highway (once the Hindustan-Tibet Road) that passes through Solan city should not be ignored.

Poor maintenance is responsible for big holes in the road and the heavy vehicular traffic load had made it worse. This road has not been repaired properly for about 10 years by the B & R Department, which wakes up only when some minister has to come. Patches are fixed prior to their visit which is of no use as they do not last. The same happened on December 6 when the Barog Bypass was inaugurated. The ministers talked about new roads, but what about the existing ones?

SURAJ KAPOOR, Solan

English from Class I

Apropos of “English from Class 1,” the HP government has indeed taken a wise and commendable step. However, the benefits of this decision will reach all sections/sectors of the people only if it is enforced at undergraduate level also because after +2 classes, it is Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) that decides the subjects, their contents and nature — compulsory or optional.

The university lacks awareness about the importance of English. During the 2001 session when the percentage of students who passed the various courses dropped, it was said that this was because of English being a compulsory subject. The students demanded that it should be made optional.

English is needed not only for government jobs but also to make the students cultured individuals with finer senses and sensitivities. Now the government should post language teachers who are not only professionally competent but also committed. All new appointments must be made for fixed periods to be renewed on merit and performance, free from the ills of manipulations.

The need to retain good teachers should also be addressed through rewards and incentives. The teachers should wake up to the call of the times and give back the community which has given them so much in terms of security.

Dr RAMA GUPTA, Shimla

Wrong paper

The staff of IITT Engineering College, Pojewal (Nawanshahr), wrongly distributed engineering maths paper based on the old-scheme syllabus meant for the re-appear candidates to the regular third-semester students on December 9. Most of the students had prepared for the examination as per the new-scheme syllabus. Even some of the students claimed that they could get 55 marks out of 60 if they were given the actual paper to solve. The students should get grace marks.

JAGDISH BEDI, Chandigarh