M A I L B A G

No one can replace Dhanraj Pillay

Apropos of Amardeep Bhattal’s article “Spoilsports at play” (Spectrum, May 16), the writer threw light on Dhanraj Pillay, the mercurial forward. Only fools can afford to slight and ill-treat the renowned hockey star. It is absolutely wrong to play with his career.

Pillay has the ability to change the complexion of a game singlehandedly. He acts as a link between the forwards and the defenders. To snap that link would be disastrous for India. It can’t be ignored that even now Pillay is fit as a fiddle. At present, no one can be substituted for the ace striker.

Tarsem S. Bumrah, Batala

An inspiring account

I was delighted to read the review “He swept his way to success” by D.S. Cheema (Spectrum, May 9) of the book .... And Dignity for All written by James Despain and Jane Bodman Converse. The reviewer has done a good job of introducing the book. I had the opportunity of going through this book. It is a realistic and greatly inspiring account of the problems encountered by modern managers. The book is highly useful for individual, corporate and social development. I would strongly recommend it to all, irrespective of their professional pursuits.

Gurdev Singh, Chandigarh

Talat’s magic

Commenting on my article on Talat Mahmood (Spectrum, May 9), M.L. Sharma says (May 23) that Talat was often replaced by other singers. While Naushad replaced Talat and used Mahender Kapoor’s voice for Manoj Kumar only in the film Aadmi, in the cassette of the film released by HMV, the duet has been sung by Talat and Mohammad Rafi.

For Jahanara, the producer wanted Rafi to sing for the hero Bharat Bhushan, but the composer Madan Mohan felt Talat would be more appropriate. The producer threatened to replace Madan Mohan and bring in composer Roshan who agreed to use Rafi.

Madan Mohan finally said he would spend his own money — a hefty sum of Rs 50,000 — to record Talat for the film. If the producer liked the result, Talat would be retained. Talat put his soul into Phir wohi shaam, Teri aankh me aansoon pee jaoon,.... Later on, the producer publicly admitted that he had made more money from the music of the film than from the film itself.

M.L. Dhawan, Chandigarh

Memories of Lahaul

This refers to “On top of the world, looking down on creation” by P.C. Bodh (Spectrum, May 23). The article reminded me of my hometown. I used to go there during my winter vacations. It made all the poems of the lake poets come alive. The enchanting scenery of the place is still fresh in my memory.

The origin of the people of Lahaul is steeped in controversy. Some believe them to be the descendants of Indo-Mongoloids or Indo-Aryans. They have a spoken dialect and no script. There is no similarity to any other language. These people have a unique and distinct culture, identity and values which they have cherished since centuries.

Dimple Katoch, Shimla

Idol worship

This refers to “Idol speculation” by Khushwant Singh (Windows, April 24). Idol worship is not only a Hindu practice, but also a trait of all other religions. An idol is not merely a marble statue of a god or goddess. All inanimate objects whether in the form of a lucky book or a tall obelisk, if worshipped, are idols. When even a mathematician has to use symbols to represent quantities, how can a religious person do away with symbols?

An idol is not the God, but a symbol of an aspect of a many-faceted God. n

Chaman Lal Korpal, Amritsar

Healthcare in villages: Onus on Centre and states APROPOS of Chanchal Sarkar’s article “Wanted: An affordable healthcare system” (Sunday Oped, May 16), India’s healthcare system is extremely poor. Successive governments at the Centre and in the states have done little to improve the facilities in government hospitals. Citing dearth of funds, the government has been neglecting this crucial sector. There is a mushrooming of nursing homes and superspeciality hospitals in every nook and corner of the country. However, these only cater to the needs of the middle and upper class. The poor and downtrodden sections cannot dream of visiting them because of costlier treatment. It is in this context that the government should chip in with adequate funds and improve the facilities in primary health centres, sub-divisional and district hospitals. Government hospitals should be well-equipped with all the infrastructural facilities, laboratories and, of course, specialist doctors. Mahatma Gandhi said umpteen times that India lives in villages. However, the government has shown scant respect to the villages in its scheme of things. How can healthcare facilities in the villages be neglected? I would also blame the government doctors because most of them are not inclined to work in rural areas. There is a need to streamline the existing system of inspection in hospitals and the performance of the rural doctors should be strictly monitored. I do not agree with the writer’s observation that achievements are not always known. If an achievement is significant and useful to society, the people will, certainly, take note of it. Dr U.S. BANSAL, Chandigarh