Punjab crisis: the major factor

  THIS refers to Prof G.S. Dhillon’s letter “Punjab in the grip of crisis” (Feb 4). I fully agree with the learned professor that Punjab faces a serious crisis on the eve of the tercentenary of the Khalsa. Although his suggestion to convene a council of 21 intellectuals and religious personalities, etc, both from home and abroad, is laudable, I fear this is not going to achieve anything intrinsic unless we have the courage to get to the root of the problem. The Sikh community is virtually in a state of “siege within”, and I suggest that there are no religious issues, for this is a veneer only. The core issue is political ambitions.

Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra has been playing various “games” on the Punjab scene and would very much like to see himself as the Chief Minister of Punjab, for that is where the real power lies. And unless he can “inch” his way to this office, tensions in one form or the other will always be there from his side.

In political affairs there are no permanent friends — only permanent interests. And if it suits the Akalis to have a coalition with the BJP, it is nothing to get worked up about and Mr Tohra himself has supported this coalition on innumerable occasions. And as the learned professor knows — and I too — the Congress is not the holiest of the holy outfits. Who was behind the killing of thousands of innocent Sikhs in the most brutal fashion in 1984 and the desecration of places of worship where both Sikhs and Hindus worshipped together? And who “raised” Sant Bhindranwale? It is a sordid story too well known to be retold.

It is the bounden duty of Chief Minister Badal to ensure law and order and appropriately deal with any threats of a possible “khoon khuraba”, of which we now read. I am sure every Punjabi will support Mr Badal in doing his bounden duty.

Rear Admiral Satyindra Singh (retd)
New Delhi

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Terrible experience

My heart goes out to Mrs Tina Vig and her father, Maj-Gen S.S. Grewal, who had a terrible experience at the hands of the Chief Minister’s convoy as reported in The Tribune dated January 31. It is an extremely unfortunate incident.

Instead of making life better for the citizens, politicians are functioning as “vampire elites” who would not refrain from sucking the blood of their own citizens to prosper.

As for the criminal behaviour of the police which, of course, extends to the CM as well, a lawsuit should be filed in the appropriate court for both physical and emotional damage caused.

I look forward to the day when the educated and intelligent people of India will lead this great nation.

RAJIV RATAN BHATNAGAR
California (USA)

(Received in response to the Internet edition.)

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Hospitals & hygiene

This is with reference to the article by Ms Tavleen Singh, “Even best hospitals lack hygiene” (The Tribune, Jan 30). The author has painted a very black picture of hygiene and sterilisation in the operation theatres and wards of our hospitals. Though the conditions are not up to the mark, these are not as bad as pointed out by the author.

In India, due precaution for hygiene and sterilisation is taken in operation theatres. But wherever it is missing it is due to the lack of funds at every stage. To compare the situation in India with that in the western countries may not be justified. The expenditure on normal delivery would be around $ 10,000 in western countries which may not be the life-long savings of an average Indian.

We have compromised conditions in every field like general sanitation, roads, personal hygiene, drinking water, nutrition etc. This is because of our compromised economy. Things are slowly improving in every sector and so also in the health sector. This type of writing raises unnecessary expectation which is beyond our economic conditions.

(Dr) K. L. GARG
Kurukshetra

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Role of Urdu akademis

Some people talk of the good work being done by Urdu akademis. But to my mind, the greatest harm to the cause of Urdu has been done by some of these institutions, whose office-bearers have been for their own selfish ends, misusing huge funds placed at their disposal by the state government.

They abuse their position by developing contacts with VVIPs whom they invite to all sorts of functions and the latter oblige them in turn by bestowing ill-deserved honours and awards on them.

Some of them behave like dictators. Others invite their own henchmen to mushairas over and over again, and you can not imagine how low they can go. They develop links, nay intimacy, with politicians as well as bureaucrats, and nobody can dare raise one’s finger at their misdeeds.

They cling to the chair not for a fixed tenure of three years or five years but for life, not by virtue of any solid work that they have done but because they have a knack of keeping their political masters and bureaucrats in good humour with their oily tongue.

Chief Ministers may come and go, but these akademi chiefs are there forever. They are more of politicians than writers.

We talk in vain of corruption being rampant among politicians and public servants. Invoking the memory of John Milton, William Wordsworth bemoaned rightly that corruption seeps through all walks of life, including the community of writers, in these words:

Milton, thou shouldst be living at this hour,

England hath need of thee; she is a fen

of stagnant waters; alter, sword and pen

.....................

We are selfish men

GANESH DAS
Gurgaon

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Water leakage

This is with reference to the Chandigarh Calling item, "Free flow" (February 8) regarding a ruptured water supply line in Sector 47. The area does not fall under the jurisdiction of the MCPH, Sub Division No 3, Chandigarh. As such, the news does not relate to this office. No resident has ever approached the undersigned regarding this problem.

KULDIP SINGH
Sub Divisional Engineer
Chandigarh