L E T T E R S    T O    T H E    E D I T O R

Elections: A futile exercise in India

We, the people of India, conduct elections every five years and it is on record that the same sets of people enter the state Assemblies and Parliament and they repeat the same activities. Today, most of the politicians are men of no principles and policies and they run the government inefficiently. We see that those on the governing side are often found catching their seats of power. The opposition parties, too, indulge in finding faults with the ruling parties’ administration and then demand resignations or dismissals of leaders of the ruling parties at the Centre and states. On their parts, leaders of opposition parties hardly come forward with remedial measures.

Politicians or leaders are united when it comes to their vested interests but try to show to the public that they are poles apart. All politicians are like those football players who play friendly matches. Since politicians are not trained in running the administration of the country, it is bureaucracy that runs the affairs of the country. We hold elections after every five years to show the world at large that we, too, have established a democracy. This democracy is not the government of the people, by the people and for the people. Neither is it working for the welfare of the people. Scams, scandals, muddles and commissions all prove that they are working for lining their own pockets.

DALIP SINGH WASAN, Patiala

Don’t roast them alive! The heat wave has tightened its grip over several parts of the country with the maximum temperature hovering around 46 degrees C at many places. We humans make every effort to beat the heat, but what about draught animals toiling on the roads in a sizzling summer. Unfeeling carts men are guilty of perpetrating cruelty to draught animals by forcing them to carry weight exceeding the permissible limits in the scorching sun and making them vulnerable to sunstroke and exhaustion. The Draught and Pack Animals Rules, 1965, mandate that in any area where the temperature exceeds 37 degrees Celsius during the period between 12 noon and 3 pm, no person will use any animal drawing a vehicle or carrying any load. It is a pity that these rules are never followed. The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is unable to check cruelty to animals as they get little support from the police as well as public. Since all SPCAs in Punjab are defunct, casual checking by policemen between 12 noon and 3 pm during their duty on roads can hardly deter the infringement of the rules. It is our moral duty that the silent cry of agony of creatures must not remain unheard. DR SOSHIL RATTAN, Amritsar

Hostile witness

The Delhi High Court deserves kudos for directing the state government to frame a witness protection scheme within 10 weeks and issuing guidelines in this regard. The high court order to prosecute two hostile witnesses, namely actor Shyan Munshi and ballistic expert Prem Sagar Mancho, for perjury in the Jessica Lall murder case should be trendsetter for other courts facing such a situation during the course of a trial. A hostile witness is one who backs out on his previous statements and thus perjures himself. Lure of money, threat to life, etc are some of the reasons for witnesses going back on their statements.

This tendency, if not cured, is likely to destroy the credibility of our criminal justice system. The courts should learn a lesson from the SC’s punishment to Zahira Sheikh who was jailed for turning hostile in the Best Bakery trial.

SOM DUTT VASUDEVA, Shimla

Broken families

It is a pity that senior citizens, being unable to live comfortably with their children, are compelled to live separately. Some others are distressed as their children, living abroad or at far-off places in India, hardly visit or even call them. Most of today’s children prefer to live separately and those living abroad never return. Those parents, whose children are based in foreign countries, are leading secluded lives as well as living in penury as they do not get such facilities as  financial help, social security, medical allowances and priority in every dealing/services like in foreign countries.

Though the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents Act, 2007, is in place, only a handful of aged persons recourse to this Act, as it can further sour their relations with children. As for old-age homes, there is only one at Hoshiarpur in Punjab, whereas there is a need for at least one old-age home in each district. Our government should increase the pension amount of elderly persons so that they could get some relief.

OP GARG, Patiala

Toxic milk

These days urea, detergents or caustic soda, grease or machine oil and dirty water are some of the ingredients being used with impunity for preparing spurious milk. Such milk, if consumed by children over a period of 15 or more years, can cause many diseases like autism, stunted growth, paralysis, etc. Nearly one in 20 children can’t speak properly due to taking this milk. To sell toxic milk is also a crime against humanity. Sad to say, our milkmen never hesitate to sell spurious milk in society. Once Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar made a statement that those who adulterate milk should be hanged. But what steps have been taken by him to check milk adulteration.

BALBIR SINGH, Pune