M A I L B A G

Fooling voters, Cong-NCP style

This refers to the news-item “Maharashtra to scrap free power to farmers” (Nov 11). Before the Maharashtra Assembly elections, the outgoing Congress-NCP government had announced that if their alliance returned to power, farmers would be given free electricity. However, soon after winning the election, NCP Supremo and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar declared that this was not sustainable.

My question to the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party politicians is this: when free power was sustainable before the Assembly elections, how it was not sustainable soon after the elections? Isn’t it the modern way of wooing the voters by false promises and then ditching them?

In the eyes of law, wrong advertisements and taking undue benefit by false promises are punishable. The promise of “free power to farmers” by the Congress-NCP government before the Assembly elections influenced the voters and played an important role in their victory.

RAJINDER RANA, Patlandar (HP)

A.T. MATHEW, Rohini, Delhi

Urdu language

Dr Ram Lal Jassi has rightly observed in his letter “Incorrect remarks” (Nov 9) that RSS Chief K.S. Sudarshan’s remarks that “Urdu language was responsible for the vivisection of the country are incorrect?

Urdu came into being as a mixed jargon serving as a common medium of communication between people speaking different languages. Many great Hindu poets and writers have enriched this language with their works.

Urdu language had nothing to do with the “vivisection” if the country. In fact, it has helped in strengthening communal harmony and social unity.

BHAGWAN SINGH, Qadian

Help defence widows

I am a defence widow and am entitled to a family pension and other service benefits. Last week, when my old fridge stopped, I visited my husband’s Unit 12 Wing to apply for the purchase of a fridge. To my horror, I was told that I am not entitled to this facility as Haryana (where the CSD Ambala Depot for this region is located) has a rule that widows do not get this benefit.

Defence Services are Central Government services. How can they be made subservient to a State rule? This is gross injustice for such families who do not have their men (who gave the prime of their life to serve the nation) with them any more. I am appalled at the treatment being meted out to Defence widows.

Dr ROMA UPPAL, Chandigarh

Step up vigil

Apropos of a news item “44 Indian fisherman arrested by Pak” (Nov 7), I fail to understand why such incidents are repeatedly allowed to occur when already about 700 Indian fisherman are languishing in Pakistani jails on charge of trespassing into alien water. Why don’t the Indian Coast Guard and the Navy step up vigil near the international coastal boundary? Of course, fishermen themselves should avoid venturing into the risky zone.

Similarly, it has become a routine that Indians attempting to sneak into Europe land in Pakistani jails after being pushed out by Turkey and Iran. Our government should persuade the Turkish and Iranian authorities to deport such people directly to India.

MANJIT INDER SINGH JOHAL, Mandiani (Ludhiana)

Ensuring smooth traffic flow After I joined as the Accountant General (A&E), Haryana, at Chandigarh, I noticed that invariably there are traffic jams. Analysis of these traffic jams will reveal that these are solely caused because of lack of traffic sense and traffic light poles on the roundabouts. In the absence of traffic sense, the drivers take their vehicles up to the light poles on all sides blocking the round which was meant for moving of traffic having green signal(s). When the situation is complicated even the deployment of traffic staff is of no use. Perhaps, the remedy lies in shifting the light poles before the start of roundabouts so that the traffic on green signal(s) can freely move. The traffic of Chandigarh is not that bad. Traffic jams are bound to be there because of the overcrowd in the city. I would like to inform you that in a separate letter, I had asked Mr M.P. Singh, IAS, Commissioner, Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, to pass on the suggestion to the quarters concerned if something could be done in this regard. MOHINDER SINGH, IAAS, Accountant General (A&E), Haryana, Chandigarh