The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

NEWS AND VIEWS

PUNJAB

HARYANA

JAMMU & KASHMIR

HIMACHAL

REGIONAL BRIEFS

NATION

OPINIONS

MAILBAG

BUSINESS

SPORTS

WORLD

SPECIAL COVERAGE

CHANDIGARH

LUDHIANA

NATIONAL CAPITAL

M A I L B A G

Kashmir, a challenge for PM

NO doubt, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has talent, character and leadership quality. Kashmir is the most burning issue of the nation. The people want physical and financial security. As Kashmir is a challenge for the new Prime Minister, he must change the policy on Jammu and Kashmir.

We should learn from our mistakes and take a more aggressive stand on Kashmir. We should learn something from the gimmicks played by Pakistan in the past. We should continue the efforts made by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government on foreign policy. India should not be submissive to countries like the US.

The Centre should also set free the two crore Bangladeshi illegal immigrants because they are not only snatching the job opportunities of the local people but also spreading the ISI network.

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

Industry is the backbone of the country’s economy. The huge export of iron to countries like China should be stopped to stabilise supplies in the local market. Economic growth and disinvestment should go hand in hand. Employment opportunities should be increased to check the unrest among the youth. Education should be made accessible to the poor.

The new Prime Minister should check corruption which is the root of all problems. Steps should be taken to enforce the laws strictly at all levels. Only then, Dr Singh can make India a developed country.

SAVEEN GERA, Jalandhar

Indians of all hues should feel proud to have Dr Manmohan Singh as their Prime Minister. However, since his elevation, the Sikh community appears to have lost its moorings, going overhead to hijack his name. Such emotional upheaval could not but embarrass him. The higher a person rises, the broader his vision becomes. Encompassing and encapsulating a great man limits his functioning.

Great Britain had Prime Ministers of Jewish origin, Scots, once deadly foes of England. Who can forget Sir William Wallace of Scotland? But those communities exhibited silent pride.

President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is first a great Indian, then a Tamil, and thereafter, anything else. From the national angle, let the entire country wish good luck to Dr Manmohan Singh to make the 21st century, India’s century. The whole Punjab is proud of Dr Singh, who has raised the head of this small northern state.

V.I.K. SHARMA, IAS (retd), Jalandhar City

III

By nominating and getting elected unanimously Dr Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister, Mrs Sonia Gandhi has not only raised her stature higher than all other politicians but has also provided us with a very honest and hardworking Prime Minister. Dr Singh is a simple and humble Mr Clean. We only hope that Mrs Gandhi will help him run the government effectively for five years.

I.D. SHARMA, IFS (retd), Shimla

With a Muslim as the President of India, a Sikh as the Prime Minister and a Christian as the leader of the single largest party in Parliament, the Congress, India has emerged as the real secular nation. Not yielding to empty gestures and rhetoric, the people of India have silently and strongly expressed their will — perform or perish. Now the world shall accept India as a real democratic nation.

Dr KULDIP SINGH, Hoshiarpur

The photograph on the front-page of The Tribune (May 20) speaks volumes for the satisfaction of the mentor in Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s eye and the gratitude and sincerity of a prodigy in Dr Manmohan Singh’s eyes. I am sure, this combination of the mentor and the prodigy will take India to great heights.

SATISH WASAN, Jalandhar

A dream never realised

THE humiliating defeat of the ruling Congress in the Lok Sabha elections in Punjab is attributed to, besides other things, the anti-employee policies adopted by the state government. All development works have come to a standstill. Doors for new recruitment are virtually slammed. Pensionary benefits have been reduced to hit the droves of retiring employees. And promotions are banned to make every aspirant feel miserable.

For example, I joined the Punjab Irrigation Department as Research Assistant in 1973 and after putting in 32 years of service, I am retiring in the same cadre due to the pathetic attitude of the government. Despite many vacancies, only seven RAs were promoted in December, 1998, all of whom have retired. Many a DPC meeting took place but due to our microscopic minority, our case for promotions was never considered.

On May 16 and 28, 2003, meetings were called but were cancelled. The qualification reports are collected every year to feign activism but no positive action is taken. Alas! with the best of service record and devotion to duty, I am bidding adieu to my service career without a single promotion — a dream never realised.

KARNAIL SINGH, Ranjit Sagar Dam

Distance education

Punjab Technical University’s distance education programme in paramedical stream is getting murkier day by day. Even though the post-graduate students have reached their final semester, the university is not bothered about distributing books or refunding money for books and conducting practical examinations. As a result, the recognised study centres of the university neither have any practical facilities nor qualified teachers.

In this scenario, the students with PTU degrees will be left in the lurch with no knowledge and practical experience. After charging a hefty fee of Rs 12,000 per semester, the university should not take things so lightly, especially when the paramedical students will be dealing with precious human lives. I request the university authorities to do the needful soon.

PARMINDER KAUR, Ludhiana