M A I L B A G

Kashmir Bill raises many questions

The Jammu and Kashmir Permanent Residents (Disqualification) Bill has come as a lethal blow to the Kashmiri women who are still struggling to pick up strings of life after terrorism devoured male “heirs”. No force can control the biological composition of a family structure. Consider families having only daughter/ daughters as heirs. The fear of losing natural inheritance will affect a woman’s right to choose her life partner.

The Bill raises many questions. What will happen to the property if the daughter is the only rightful heir but marries outside the state? Will it stand unclaimed, disputed or the government initiate the process of direct annexation as per Dalhousie’s Doctrine of Lapse?

If a man can marry outside the state and still retain his state subject and other socio-political rights, why not a woman? If the state prohibits outsiders in property matters, it should bring forward another Bill debarring state subject holders from buying properties outside the state.

RESHAM SHARMA, Amritsar

II

The Bill is not only retrograde but also discriminatory. The women of Jammu region often marry in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh though after their migration, Kashmiri Pandits who found refuge in other parts of the country, started marrying their children to the “outsiders”. They have all been deprived of their state subject by the said Bill.

Is it not strange that while the Centre wants a section of the state to join the national mainstream, others who always remained with the mainstream and stood by the ‘state’ even at the cost of their lives, are being deprived of their state subject?

RASHMI JOTSHI SHAROTRI, Kasauli (HP)

III

The Bill makes a mockery of government’s promise for women’s empowerment. Women have already become vulnerable in society and now the Bill would damage the prospects of women in the state. The Bill is in direct conflict with the cardinal principle of gender equality. Though India is the world’s largest democracy, women’s rights continue to be trampled upon ruthlessly day by day. This is a disturbing trend.

RUMI RAVINDER, Sangrur

What about Ayurveda? The Centre had allocated Rs 8 lakh to each parliamentary constituency towards the health check-up programme. This is a good project but the problem is that the funds will be spent only for allopathic treatment or through NGOs promoting the science of allopathy which is costly and not result-oriented. Compared to allopathy, Ayurveda is the true science of health, recognised by the World Health Organisation. It is extremely cost-effective and gives immediate results without any side- effects. This system of medicine also gives a lasting solution to the health problems of the people with simple diagnostic methods. Therefore, a reasonable portion of the Central fund (which should not be less than 50 per cent of the total allocation) should be earmarked for health check-up through Ayurveda and naturopathy. Since a good number of people will be benefited, this suggestion merits serious consideration. S.R. MITAL, Ludhiana

Costlier prospectus

The prospectus and application form for CET 2004, being conducted by Panjab University, Chandigarh, is priced at a whopping Rs 1,300! When the university is charging such a hefty fee for this, why is it not directing its affiliated colleges not to flee the students?

Educational Institutions are supposed to impart education on a no-profit basis but this industry is minting money as there is no recession here. The Chancellor and the Vice-Chancellor should ensure that the money collected for a certain purpose is spent judiciously.

SHYAM SUNDER AIRI, Kapurthala

Maintain decorum

As the Lok Sabha elections are approaching, political parties are gearing up to attack each other with claims and counter-claims. The roots of Indian democracy are deep and people are mature enough to understand the strengths and weaknesses of all the political parties and candidates. As a citizen, I appeal to all the political parties to use polite and respectable language against the opponents and maintain decency and decorum in the campaigning so that the world’s largest democracy is hailed by the comity of nations for ensuring free and fair elections.

PARVEEN KILBURN, Chandigarh

Abolish entry tax

I request the Himachal Pradesh government to abolish entry tax at Parwanoo, as promised by the Congress in the elections to the State Assembly. Needless to say, bureaucrats and ministers don’t have to pay entry tax. It is only the common people who have to pay the tax.

Entry tax for what? If Punjab and Haryana also impose it tomorrow, how would the common people be able to pay the same, especially because one has to cross through all the three states? Instead of imposing entry tax, the government should give incentives to promote tourism. Entry tax at Parwanoo is creating a feel-bad factor among the people. This is also a disincentive to tourists. The government should abolish it immediately.

SURAJ R. K. KAPUR, Solan

HPSC marks

The Haryana Public Service Commission is not issuing the detailed marks of the HCS-2003 examination even after two months of the declaration of the final results. It is very frustrating for those who had cleared the Preliminary and Main examinations and appeared for the interview in December, 2003 but could not get selected.

The HPSC should issue the detailed marks to the students so that they can know the areas which needed to be improved for the next examination.

R. SHARMA, Chandigarh