M A I L B A G

Monsoon can help end water shortage

The early monsoon showers all over India have paved the way for a good monsoon this year. Let us not waste this year's monsoon and try to tap the water from the heavens. The government should by now have made an elaborate and extensive framework on how to use these rains for recharging our depleting underground water table. First of all plant sapling, so that they can easily grow for the few months by getting this rain water, and no extra expense for watering these plants would have to be borne by the state governments.

Moreover, the state governments should also have shown interest in tackling the shortage of water by going into water recharging and water conservation. This is the golden opportunity and we should not let this go by. If even both the central and the state governments are not doing enough then the people themselves should think of using this rain water for recharging specially in the villages, because check-dams and water recharging compounds can be easily built in the open village areas.

SUMEET SETH, Kaithal

Criminals in the House

Apropos of H.K. Dua's article "Criminals in the House: The danger is collective, so is the solution" (June 12) and readers' overwhelming response, I wonder how a Prime Minister who is heading a coalition government can remove any tainted ministers selected by coalition partners and sign the death warrant of his government.

DALIP SINGH GHUMAN, Chandigarh

Dominance of girls Ever since results have been declared for various schools, colleges, boards and entrance tests, it has been seen that girls are dominating. In the meanwhile, the male-female ratio in Haryana and Punjab has been decreasing. I read The Tribune everyday and I read a story about a woman who had 16 or 17 abortions because she wanted a male child. This is totally ridiculous. This is an age-old attitude, and there is no ray of hope that society will give up this mentality. However, the news items about girls' achievements make me happy as I feel that each girl achiever is a slap on the face of those who are still pining for only a male child. PRABHJOT KAUR, Chicago

White elephant

The Punjab Subordinate Services Selection Board was constituted by the Punjab Government in January, 2002. According to sources in the Punjab Civil Secretariat, the members, Chairman and 60 employees are sitting idle as no advertisement for filling any post of any category has been given so far. The expenditure that the board incurs monthly comes around to Rs 7 lakh. The state government has not lifted the ban for filling any post till date. This board is a while elephant.

MIRDHALA KUMARI, Chandigarh

Justice for Tehelka

With Tehelka tapes proving unaltered in forensic tests, Tehelka journalists have rightly demanded instant action including arrest of tainted persons for filing wrong affidavits and also for their guilt as exposed in the tapes. The fact remains that corruption in the Army deals was certified much earlier by the Army's own SK Jain enquiry-committee. It was game-plan of NDA government to deliberately delay the enquiry-process by engineering resignation of Justice Venkatswamy when he was in the process of giving final touches to his report. Any delay in action against culprits will raise doubts about unholy convenience among rival politicians/ political parties to avoid/ indefinitely postpone action against each other in various scams!

MADHU AGRAWAL, Delhi

Probe death of parrots

This refers to "Parrots die after consuming jamun" (June 20). A great tragedy befell the birds after consuming toxic jamun fruit in Faridkot. Is not spraying of strong pesticide at the fruiting stage a travesty of norms for the usage of pesticide? The spraying is usually in vogue to deter the birds from eating the fruit and to enhance its ripeness. In this case the spraying seems to have been too extensive, using big pumps as jamun trees are too high to be sprayed with ordinary equipment.

An enquiry is needed to be instituted so that such unprecedented deaths of innocent birds do not occur in future. Much will depend on the findings of veterinarians and the laboratory. The source from which undesirable pesticide which could cause the deaths of birds has been procured also deserves to be probed. This matter should not be lost in the wilderness of unending politicking! Directly or indirectly causing deaths of parrots is violation of the Wildlife Protection Act.

Dr. SOSHIL RATTAN, Amritsar

Losers as victors

"When losers are victors" (June 21) by A.J. Philip clearly demonstrates the helplessness of Indian voters. Though they are empowered to bring, through elections, new faces/brands into our political arena, they are unable to ensure any positive transformation. By bringing the defeated persons into the active power-game, the pompous politicians, of all hues and shades, make a mockery of democracy.

When losers are turned into victors and posted in powerful positions they naturally nurse their grudges against those who had voted them out. So where lies the sanctity of voting and the so-called "verdict of the people"?

In such a precarious situation where both the ruling party and the Opposition always act in a hand-in-glove manner to protect their selfish interests, who will bell the cat? The Supreme Court? Or the President?

RUPINDER B. SINGH, Chandigarh

Hoshiarpurias

The report "Hoshiarpur to have four MPs" (June 17 ) made good reading. It is a matter of satisfaction for all the Hoshiarpurias that their representatives are finding berth in the highest temple of governance of our large democracy. However, irrespective of the party lines, the best candidates from the city would still be the one's who are connected with the masses and the general public.

TEJINDER SINGH BEDI, Noida