M A I L B A G

Sunil Dutt’s death a great loss

Sunil Dutt was a great Indian art luminary. Being a remarkable artist, statesman, social thinker and, above all, a philanthropist, Sunil Dutt has been a great inspiring force for everyone, particularly the country’s youth.

It is an irreparable loss to our people, country and world at large.

RAJPAL SINGH, Secretary, Punjab Sangeet Natak Akademi, Chandigarh

II

I had the privilege of meeting Sunil Dutt in the early Seventies during the shooting of his Punjabi film Man Jeete Jag Jeet at Dholbaha village in Hoshiarpur district. I remember my brief chat with him. He was on his horseback when I told him that he would excel in his career due to his role of a dacoit in the film.

D.S. THAKUR, Hoshiarpur

III

Every man is a child of his age. Though he is influenced by it, if he is a great man he may influence it also. Sunil Dutt aptly fits into this category.

From a humble radio announcer to a film actor in Railway Platform in 1955 and Munna Bhai MBBS in 2005, an impeccable clean career of 50 years, a five-time parliamentarian from Mumbai and Union Sports Minister, Dutt’s demise is an irreparable loss.

But no, he is not dead. He will forever live in the hearts of people. He was a model of simplicity and professionalism. On the sudden demise of Dutt Sahib, a couplet comes to mind:

Rahega ranj zamane mein yaad gar tera

Who kaun dil hai ki jisme nahin mazar tera

Jo kal rakeeb tha hai aaj sogwar tera,

Khuda ke samne hai mulk sharmsar tera

VILAS KUMAR, Chandigarh

IV

The sudden demise of Sunil Dutt is a big shock to the country. We have lost a very good human being, who was a nationalist to the core. Despite all the vicissitudes in his life following the sad demise of his wife Nargis or the arrest of his son Sanjay Dutt under TADA or political upheavals, he fought back and never compromised on his principles.

As an MP, and later as the Union Sports Minister, he was respected for his clean image. Where are such politicians and human beings these days?

MADHU R.D. SINGH, Ambala Cantt

V

Balraj Dutt adopted screen name Sunil Dutt as suggested by the legendary Meera Kumari. He was not born with a silver spoon but he had a pure golden heart. He was loved and praised by one and all.

He had immense love for his mother and to fulfill her desire to see his younger brother Som Dutt as an actor, he produced the film Man Ka Meet. Reflections of his intense love for mother can be viewed in his films Mother India and Resham Aur Shera. He was unique in playing the dacoit role. His dare-devil act of rescuing Nargis from the burning foodgrain fields during the shooting of Mother India cemented their relations for all times to come.

C.R. JINDAL, Chandigarh

VI

We can never forget Sunil Dutt’s valuable contribution to Indian cinema. He was a perfect gentleman. He handled the Union Sports Ministry well. He was a real role model for the present crop of film actors.

MOHD SHAFI, Gurgaon

VII

In Sunil Dutt’s death, we have a lost a man of the masses. He was a true and honest personality. I consider his death a personal loss. He left an indelible impression in the Sports Ministry. He always guided the youth. He faced many problems but he could overcome them with customary fortitude and courage.

His peace march from Mumbai to Amritsar during the troubled period in Punjab will always remain memorable. India has lost a true and honest leader.

VIRENDER K. KAUSHAL, Hisar

VIII

With the passing away of Sunil Dutt, India lost a great politician and film star. Like Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and former Union Home Minister L.K. Advani, Sunil Dutt won the Lok Sabha elections six times. May his soul rest in peace!

Dr RAJAN MALHOTRA, Rehan (Nurpur)

IX

Sunil Dutt’s actor-son Sanjay and daughters Priya and Namrata were with him when the end came. Various newspapers covered the event by publishing pictures of Dutt. But the picture published on the front page of Dainik Tribune depicting the actor’s young age with his wife Nargis and two kids, Sanjay and Priya, is really commendable.

VINOD JAIDKA, Panchkula

Beyond Blair’s victory Reference K.N. Malik’s article, “Labouring under Blair” (May 16). Malik has observed that the Labour Party is back in power. Nevertheless, he says that the UK’s democracy, in itself, is a big hoax and the Labour Party is not in power. Mathematically, in a multiparty political setup, a party in power must have obtained at least 50.01 per cent of the validly cast votes throughout the jurisdiction of the House of Commons. But Mr Blair’s Labour Party could sweep only 33 per cent of the total bank of the validly cast votes. The unbearable burden of falsehood is thus crystal clear. Dr AMAR SINGH DHALIWAL, Amritsar

Prospectus blues

The prospectus of the Punjab Medical Entrance Test (PMET)-2005 has many discrepancies. It is not informative. Some pieces of information are contradictory. For instance, on page 4, item 9, it says that “no documents are to be submitted with the OMR application form”. Similarly, on page 8, item xiii, it is mentioned that “No other enclosures are to be sent with the OMR application form”.

However, on page 20, item iv, it is mentioned that “The candidate, while applying for PMET-2005, shall submit four identical clear passport size colour photographs…” This has created confusion among the applicants. The authorities should clarify and accept applications submitted without photographs.

HARINDER MITTAL, Bathinda

Road accidents

Road accidents are on the rise. The loss of precious human lives is promptly reported in the papers. The major cause of these accidents is overspeeding by immature young drivers. There seems to be no check by the traffic police to book such dangerous drivers.

SANTOKH SINGH, Jalandhar