Serious intelligence mix-up

  This refers to the report on the military intelligence goof-up. It is difficult to digest the cover-up stories now being published in the media.

Is our Military Intelligence Directorate so inapt that it failed to identify the name of the Air Chief who also happens to be the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, topping the list of persons needing security clearance? Was our Vice-COAS so casual that he too overlooked the glaring mistake in according his approval? Even our DCP (PM’s security), who is supposed to be one of the super alert cops as his duty involves the security of the Prime Minister, passed on the list of the necessary action to the UP Police, and now to hush up the blunder, a poor sub-inspector has been suspended.

Has our bureaucratic set-up (including the military) degenerated to such an extent? Although it is difficult to believe, but if it is truly so then it needs to be shaken up. Instead of suspending the poor sub-inspector, the top brass like the Vice-Chief of the Army Staff and the Director-General, Military Intelligence, should be questioned and punished.

Now that we are a nuclear nation and have access to the destructive power of nuclear devices, such “goof-up” in our military set-up and its intelligence directorate does not augur well for the country’s image as a responsible power.

BRIG. W.S. CHOUDARY (Retd)
Panchkula

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Initiating Sikhs

As mentioned in the news-item “Become Amritdharis, SGPC asks Sikhs” (September 27), the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee desires that its members and their families should become baptised Sikhs.

Why were these members not asked to take “amrit” before giving them tickets for the SGPC election? Now that the 300th birth anniversary of the Khalsa comes off in April next, the SGPC wants that its members, those of the Shiromani Akali Dal, its office-bearers, ministers, MLAs and the heads of corporations and committees, who are Sikhs, should become “amritdharis”.

The SGPC has virtually done nothing concrete to persuade the Sikh youths to accept initiation into the Khalsa. The result is that most of them have become apostates, inasmuch as they clip hair, take drugs and some of them even indulge in smoking. Quite a few Sikhs drink like a fish. During the last SGPC election, an allegation was afloat that many candidates offered liquor to voters. If it is true, how can they be expected to advocate what the SGPC wants?

The SGPC chief, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, takes more interest in political pursuits than in “Panthic” matters. I am reminded of an Urdu verse:

Khuda ney aaj tak us qaum ki haalat nahi badli

na ho jis ko khayaal aap apni haalat ko badalney ka.

Initiated Sikhs, strictly observing the religious code of conduct, and not the wildlife sanctuary parks, welcome gates, etc, being set up at Anandpur Sahib, are the glory of the Khalsa Panth. “A nation is judged by the quality of men it possesses”, said Jawaharlal Nehru.

BHAGWAN SINGH
Qadian

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A good gesture

This refers to the Haryana Vikas Manch’s suggestion to the government to name Toka, Raipur Rani, Barbala, Nanda Road as Guru Gobind Singh Marg (October, 1). The gesture of the Haryana Vikas Manch is commendable.

Nada Sahib is an important pilgrimage centre. The other places like Raipur Rani are equally important, but are lesser known in the absence of historical background and pilgrimage facilities there.

To give the background of Raipur Rani in brief, it is stated that after winning the battle of Bhangani, Guru Gobind Singh marched towards Anandpur Sahib. When he reached near Raipur, the Rani of Raipur sounded an alert to her army to fight the advancing troops of the Guru taking them as their enemies.

On hearing that the advancing army was of Guru Gobind Singh, the Rani not only disarmed herself but also ordered her soldiers to follow her. Out of devotion for the Guru, the Rani presented a purse of Rs 1100, a fine horse and other valuable gifts.

The places with their historical backgrounds mentioned above would benefit the Haryana government by boosting tourism if the road is named as Guru Gobind Singh Marg.

AJIT SINGH
Chandigarh

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Spreading sickness

Apropos of the editorial “Spreading sickness” (The Tribune, Oct 5), it is vital to drastically reduce the daily dose of negative journalism to restore to society the state of robust health.

The media, to my mind, has no right to unnecessarily project and exploit the aberrant behaviour of an individual. It has indeed a sickening effect.

A recent episode of TV serial “Bhanwar” on Sony Television dramatised the story of a father having seduced his daughter. It was most disgusting and unwatchable. I fail to understand the utility of such programmes. You are absolutely right that any number of such stories of human perversity can be picked up. What is important and crucial is the solution, and unfortunately there is none.

DR. A.J. KANWAR
Chandigarh

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Tamils of Sri Lanka

This refers to the editorial “An uncivil war” in The Tribune, dated 3.10.98, in which the LTTE has been condemned and sympathy shown with the Sinhalese government.

It is not understood why most of the media people are against the LTTE, which was initially friendly to India. The late Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, went to the extent of sending the IPKF (the Indian Peace Keeping Force) to kill LTTE men. This resulted in revenge by the LTTE, and Rajiv Gandhi was killed.

LTTE men are Tamils. Both the Tamils of Sri Lanka and the Sinhalese are of Indian origin. India has not performed its duty well, as it has not done much to solve the problem. All these years the Sinhalese have behaved as if the Tamils of Sri Lanka are outsiders. In fact, about one million out of them were turned out about three decades ago, by withdrawing their citizenship rights. Continued misbehaviour of the Sinhalese against the Tamils gave birth to the LTTE. It is certainly not the duty of India to help or show sympathy to the Sinhalese government, the oppressor. Our sympathies should go to the LTTE and the Tamils of Sri Lanka, the oppressed.

ANAND PRAKASH
Panchkula

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Use of Article 356

Recently some political parties have urged that Article 356 should be scrapped, and democratically elected state governments should not be dismissed.

Article 356 provides a vital deterrent to curb the wayward activities of state governments. Its outright withdrawal will be tantamount to granting immunity to the government from taking action against it for its unconstitutional activities.

It is true that democratically elected governments should not be dismissed, but unfortunately the way the elections are conducted is not always truly democratic. A large number of candidates, including criminals, get elected by the use of the gun and graft. When they become a part of the government they make use of the gun and graft with impunity, create powerful gangs of criminals, enforce strikes, loot shops, purchase the police to play partisan roles, even resort to murders to settle personal scores, render the judiciary helpless in invoking provisions of the law as terrified witnesses would not come forward to testify. Such situations lead to gross misrule and the failure of the law and order enforcement machinery.

It is then that a so-called democratically elected government has to be carefully dealt with by the Governor. If he is satisfied that it is a fit case for the invocation of Article 356 and the government’s dismissal is the only way out, he reports the matter to the President with his recommendations in consultation with the Chief Minister.

TARA CHAND SAHI
Chandigarh