M A I L B A G

Promotion denied to Airmen

With reference to your front page news on “SC orders to review the promotions of officers in IAF” on December 14, 2004. We (airmen) would like to add here that the vast majority of the IAF is airmen and we are denied the promotion in non-commissioned ranks due to the new promotion policy (for airmen) introduced by current Chief of Air Staff.

Everybody’s morale is down and due to this a large number of highly skilled and trained men are going out from service. We cannot open our mouth fearing harassment from senior officers. We are simply made to cry and curse only.

The old promotion policy was very good and effective where everybody had a fair chance of promotion in his IAF life. But due to this new promotion policy there is no hope for promotion at all.

The gap between officer and an airman is widening day by day. In case of an officer the rank of Pilot Officer is removed whereas no such rank is removed from non-commissioned ranks.

Normal promotion has become very fast in case of officers, whereas an airmen remains Sgt (Havildar) throughout his life in IAF.

We request CAS and other Senior IAF officers to look into this problem.

Pro Bono Publico, Chandigarh

No flaw

“Suraj Parkash — a magnum opus” by Harbans Singh Virdi made obtuse reading. Almost at the outset, in its out of the blue second paragraph, the writer tells about a “flaw” in the magnum opus, which every religious-minded Sikh holds in high esteem! If the writer considers Bhai Santokh Singh a great poet and “a master craftsman of word and meaning” (what ever that means), he should also know about the poetic license that allows a creative person to indulge in his flights of fancy. To “purge” some of the parts of Suraj Parkash,” the mythological content” to be precise, would be a poetic as well as religious sacrilege.

The popular mythical allegory of the period is there in the Suraj Parkash text to heighten the perceptive effect of its narration and to make it more comprehensible to the laity.

BALVINDER, Chandigarh

Teacherless schools

This has a reference to the editorial “Schools without Teachers” (Dec 13). The Tribune has rightly brought to the notice of the nation the stinking conditions in rural schools. School education is in a mess, partly due to the apathy of the teachers, and mostly due to the callous attitude of the government towards education.

The root cause of deterioration pervasive in the whole system which includes the educational processes in the urban areas as well, is the apathy of the society towards education. And teachers themselves are, to a large extent, responsible for creating among the people a sense of ‘no necessity’ whether you come to school or not.

There is need to appoint an Education Commission to redefine educational priorities. The only answer lies in formulating strict norms and applying them with sincerity.

Dr J.S. ANAND, Principal, DAV College, Bathinda

President’s message

“I want to assure you that you live in every Indian Heart” has been the most heartening message received by our Armed Forces from the President and the Supreme Commander; after the deafening silence maintained by the national leadership on December 7 when the nation observed its 57th ‘Armed Forces Flag Day’ (Kalam visits Kargil, Dec, 9).

Flag Day was the day for the nation to honour its brave soldiers, sailors and the airmen, both serving and

veterans, and pay homage to the martyrs for their supreme sacrifice.

It is time we understood what the President said: ‘Peace existed in a nation when its Armed Forces are strong’ and by protecting our borders they allow the nation to focus on developmental activities. President Sir, we salute you for reminding the nation of its obligation towards the Armed Forces.

Commodore Lokesh. K. Batra (retd), Noida