Growing creed of intolerance

  IN response to an announcement in many newspapers about the 28th anniversary celebrations of the International Punjabi Society, held at Chandigarh from January 2-4, I attended the inaugural session at Tagore Theatre and the afternoon session at IMTECH.

At the inaugural function, virtually everyone present on the stage was honoured, including the two deserving Punjabi athletes who had recently performed well at Bangkok.

At the IMTECH session, after obtaining permission from the chair, I raised two points. One, that such societies would better serve humanity and the Punjabis in particular, if they could place in position certain social and counselling agencies and services for free, to whom many of the girls and boys who migrate abroad after their marriage could turn to, for solace and material succour. Cases of mental torture, cruelty and even suicide, because of haughty and uncaring husbands, wives and in-laws abroad have occurred from time to time in foreign lands.

The second point made by me was that please do not donate money to political or religious leaders from India who visit your countries. Instead, if they must send us the money, then it should be properly channelised through institutions or organisations where a watch on the amount sent and its expenditure is strictly exercised by a monitoring system. In any case, India is not a beggar relying on foreign donations.

Both aspects were possibly not taken kindly by the chairman and the organisers, and it was felt by them that these subjects were “off-track”. If you ask me, these are very weighty concerns from which we should not shy away, and must find answers to.

What pained me, however, was the high level of intolerance to which many of us have down-slided. It is our inability to face the truth, and our intolerance to others’ point of view that has led to various disturbing developments.

A nation and a people who persist in having their way against all sane advice and earlier experience are doomed to a path of self-destruction.

As regards such gatherings where Mr I.K. Gujral, a former Prime Minister had to deliver the inaugural address in pitch dark due to electricity failure, after some times it becomes pointless going there at all, if you ask me. How long is it possible to suffer the “you scratch my back and I will scratch yours” syndrome, praising each other, and not really getting down to a worthwhile agenda?

Quite frankly, I have to admit that I did not gain much from the day’s deliberations. Incidentally, in comparison, the deliberations with Mr Gujral at the Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID) on January 2 were more meaningful.

Maj-Gen Himmat Singh Gill (retd)
Chandigarh

J & K Gurdwara Act

It is quite painful to read the contents of the write-up “J & K Sikhs a divided lot” (Jan 1).

I, as a member of the J&K State Gurdwara Board, want to set the record straight. It is true that J&K Sikhs are divided among themselves, but it is true of every community today throughout India.

Our division should be seen in the right context. The majority of the J&K Sikhs (call Sikh sangat) want that the J&K Gurdwara Act should be implemented in true spirit. The Sikh sangat wants gurdwaras/deras to be managed according to Sikh maryada, democratically, under the laws of the land, and not by “mahants” and their henchmen.

There are certain other pieces of misinformation in the write-up.

(i) Six members from Kashmir are till today the duly elected members of the Gurdwara Prabandhak Board, and the question of action under Rule 54/B of the Gurdwara Act does not arise, as already stated above, since the formation of this board no meeting has been held. So the question of our absence from meetings does not arise.

(ii) There is no question of six members from Kashmir being “won over” as we fought the gurdwara elections on pro-Gurdwara Act and anti-Mahant Shahi agenda and stick to that even against threats to our lives and offers of posts, etc.

(iii) It is not true that the Akali Dal won only five seats out of 66 from Jammu. The fact is that it won 25 seats.

J&K Sikhs are annoyed with the state government, as under the present regime they are totally neglected in all spheres of life — recruitments, promotions, etc. Even High Court orders in the cases of Sikhs are not implemented. How can true representatives of the Sikh masses endorse government’s policies?

DALIP SINGH SAWHNEY
Srinagar

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Non-pensionary retirees

In the changing social structure, high cost of living and environment of consumerism, a common person remains under stress and is an easy target of health hazards. Not less than 90 per cent of the Indian population is feeling the pinch of high inflation rate and large amount of currency in circulation. To partly compensate the high cost of living, salaries of all categories of employees have been enhanced considerably. Dearness allowance goes on increasing regularly with the rise of price index. The maximum salary drawn by a high executive about 15 years earlier is now starting salary of an employee at the lowest rank. The pensioners are enjoying the fruits of enhanced pensions, which too increase regularly with rise in the price index. It is a fact that some pensioners are getting pensions, three to four times the salary drawn by them at the time of retirement. It is a welcome situation.

In the present scenario one category of employees whose service conditions did not afford pensionary benefits to them have been very adversely affected. Some 10-15 years earlier, the salaries were low, contributory provident fund rates were low, the retiree after 30-35 years service could hardly get a few thousand rupees of their provident fund contribution, including the employee’s share and the interest accrued. Not many retirees could keep that money in bank or post-office to earn interest for managing their livelihood. They had to incur expenditure on building houses or marrying their children off and meeting medical requirements and other commitments. The bank interest rates are showing a downward trend, resulting in reduced returns for the employees, even if they were wise enough and could arrange to deposit some money out of their provident fund earnings in a bank. Some of the retirees are not being looked after by their children because of the cracking of the joint family system.

Citizens belonging to this category are the hardest hit and are scarcely looked after by the present system. There is nobody to watch their interests and console them. Nor are they organised to exert pressure because they are less in number. They are too old to take initiative and fend for themselves. May the government pay heed to their plight and evolve a scheme to partly undo the injustice being perpetrated on them.

A proposal on the following lines my be considered by the government and a formula evolved to ameliorate the lot of non-pensionary retirees. Retirees from any private recognised institution should be allowed a flat rate of pension in a slab system determined by the time of retirement, emoluments drawn by the individual, pension now being drawn by an official of the same rank and status and other relevant factors.

The enlightened personalities in the society should take up the issue with the government and pursue the case of those who themselves are unable to do that.

GURBACHAN SINGH
Chandigarh