Judiciary deserves support

I read with immense interest Mr S. Sahay’s article “Administration of justice: alarming symptoms of decline” (The Tribune, Dec 15). Well, there is no gainsaying the fact that over the years the administration of justice in the country has registered steep qualitative deterioration. So much so that law no longer acts as a deterrent. As a sad consequence, the “rule of force” and not the “rule of law” rules the roost in the country, as the article points out.

Of the Constitution’s three pertinent arms — the legislature, the executive and the judiciary — the last one alone inspires public confidence. The other two organs have virtually ceased to deliver the goods. To cap it all, the country’s police force enjoys a woefully low credibility.

Under the circumstances, would it be advisable to restrict the judiciary’s powers to grant bail to the alleged offenders, as suggested by Mr Sahay? Well, candidly speaking, no; a big no, indeed!

To my mind, the need of the hour is to strengthen the judiciary and ensure its impartiality by granting it reasonable autonomy, and not to impair it under one pretext or the other. Bluntly speaking, the vital pillar of the democratic set-up can be weakened only to our general peril. Let the powers that be beware!

TARA CHAND
Ambota (Una)

* * * *

Unfair criticism

I was pained to read the report titled “Inadequate staff hits teaching” by Mr K.G. Dutt in which he has, on the basis of a so-called survey stated that certain teachers from Regional Engineering College, Kurukshetra, go to teach at privately managed engineering colleges at Yamunanagar, Radaur, Mullana, etc, every weekend.

For the kind information of the “surveyor” no engineering college exists at Yamunanagar proper. Moreover, at the Seth Jai Parkash Mukand Lal Institute of Engg. & Technology, Radaur, no teacher from elsewhere has ever come to take classes here for lack of the teaching staff. Guest lectures, however, on some special topics, are held occasionally. The Radaur college has a full-time staff of 53 competent and qualified teachers as per AICTE norms, and the average load per teacher is 16 periods per week despite its being a self-financed institution.

I wish the correspondent had visited the college to cross-check the facts before unleashing his unfair criticism. High-powered teams from Kurukshetra University, the AICTE and the DTE do periodical inspections of every aspect of the college and have always praised its smooth functioning. We always welcome healthy criticism as that strengthens the institutions.

VINOD PANDYA
Officiating Principal,
SKPML Institute of Engineering & Technology,
Radaur (Yamunanagar)

* * * *

For foreign policy debate

Referring to Mr Hari Jaisingh’s article “Foreign policy consensus: deeper probing of reality needed” (December 11), I want to say that there has always been, in the past, a broad consensus on foreign policy across this country’s political spectrum. It, however, needs to be fostered by contingency and long-term planning by regular consultations among political parties, as stressed upon by the writer, and in the concerned Parliamentary Committee.

High-level delegations going abroad should invariably be multi-party. It is also very important to have a serious public debate on all aspects of defence and foreign policy in academic institutions and in intellectual circles and the media. Withholding of information by officials on grounds of security should be severely curbed. Most such information is easily available to any researcher outside India, and keeping it back can harm the national interest more than it helps.

Moreover, the major thrust in external policies should be economic. Trade, investment and technology flows are the avenues. Globalisation is here to stay. Obviously, it cannot be at the cost of self-reliance. But the doors have to be opened inexorably if India is to compete effectively and take due place in the global market. Indian industry has to think in global terms, and this does not mean subservience to the MNCs. This means acquiring self-confidence to compete with or without their cooperation, first on home ground, and later in the rest of the world.

As regards defence, India has obdurately maintained its commitment since Nehru’s time to genuine disarmament, and has continued its work for attaining, on a time-bound basis, a nuclear weapon-free world. Indians have never accepted discriminatory regimes like the NPT. India is always happy to participate in non-discriminatory and fair global treaties like the Chemical Weapons Convention. But no Indian will be agreeable to signing a skewed CTBT, whatever the cost. We cannot give up our pursuit of excellence and self-reliance in science and technology. The present government must advocate these ideas more vigorously than it has done before.

K. M. VASHISHT
Mansa

* * * *

Military postings

The article by Mr Inder Malhotra on top military postings (Dec 16) was thought-provoking. The Supreme Court has rightly suggested that defence services should have their own final appellate authority. However, when the grievance is against the decision of the service chief, he cannot act as the final appellate authority. Therefore, to overcome this problem a final appellate authority for defence services should be appointed with all the three service chiefs as members. Their decision should be final, and intervention of the civil courts should be disallowed.

R. KAUNDINYA
Ambala Cantt

* * * *

Between BJP & Congress

THE BJP, which suffered a humiliating defeat in the recent assembly elections, is right in believing what is conveyed by the title of the Raj Kapoor film “Phir Subah Hogi” (“From here and there”, December 9).

Looking at the past experience, it can safely be assumed that the Congress will do exactly what the BJP had done in certain states during the past five years. This will make the people repose their faith once again in the BJP which will do what the Congress has been and will be doing! The process will just go on.

So, any political party is right if it believes after a defeat that “Phir Subah Hogi”. But the title which the voters are forced to utter during every regime is “Phir Wohi Raat”!

SURENDRA MIGLANI
Kaithal