M A I L B A G

Saroop Krishen: a fine legacy for others to emulate

The passing away of Saroop Krishen, the first Chief Secretary of Haryana, is a loss to Chandigarh in particular and the country in general. He was not only an erudite and highly experienced civil servant, but also a very fine man who believed in giving to others.

I have known him through his wife, Mrs Kanta Saroop Krishen, Honorary Secretary of Chandigarh’s Blood Bank Society as she has been my mentor in the voluntary blood donation movement. Whenever I used to meet Saroop Krishen during the blood donation functions, I found him to be an epitome of humility and dignity.

I often wrote to him complimenting his delightful middles in The Tribune. He always reciprocated by appreciating my family’s sustained efforts towards voluntary blood donation. I will personally miss such a fine fatherly figure. By donating his body to the PGI for research and medical purposes, he has left behind a very fine legacy for others to emulate.

Colonel R.D. SINGH, Commandant 213 Transit Camp Jammu

II

Saroop Krishen was a clean, selfless, fearless and conscientious public servant. After retirement, he led a literary life at home and cooperated with his wife in blood donation service.

He was an ideal bureaucrat and humanist. The Tribune readers will miss his middles. The Haryana government should introduce a weekly or fortnightly people-orientation course for each batch of gazetted officers in the sacred memory of Saroop Krishen. This will be real homage to his noble soul.

Prof HARI SINGH,Kheri Jat (Jhajjar)

III

Saroop literally means handsome and I am reminded of two quotations in this context. According to John Gay, “He is handsome that handsome does”. Oliver Goldsmith says, “Handsome is that handsome does”.

Saroop did a laudable thing by pledging his body for research and other medical purposes. As a result, within hours of his death, his eyes were gifted to a blind person. He brought light in the life of a visually challenged person. An unusually handsome act of social service indeed!

A member of the Indian Civil Service, he reached the top position of Chief Secretary. He wrote fairly regularly for The Tribune. This shows that he was not only brilliant but also a conscientious person. In fact, he was a gentleman with a great combination of head and heart. May his tribe increase!

DEEPAK PURI, Beas

IV

I am shocked to learn that Saroop Krishen is no more. It is a great loss to the country. He has donated his body to the PGI, Chandigarh, for research and medical purposes as per his will. He donated his eyes and helped a blind person regain vision. In doing so, he has set a noble example for all others to follow.

SUBHASH C. TANEJA, Rohtak

Climate change

Perennial rivers originated from Himalayas faced shortage of water. This is proved by data (particularly on per cubic decline of water) in the past 10 years. These observations can be confirmed from small river lets (choes) flowing through foothills of Himalayas.

Earlier, these rivers were having plenty of water due to protected forests at hills, but now they remain dry throughout the year except during scanty rainy season. The Great Himalayas consists of 1300-km-long and 350-450 km wide hills of varying topography and was earlier covered by thick coniferous forests of gymnosperms.

It provides a congenial base and act as giant sponge to absorb water that is retained in the form of glaciers due to snow at hills and continuous rain in summer. However, illicit felling of these trees atop the hills deteriorated the condition leading to climate change.

Dr G.S. CHATHA, Nangal