M A I L B A G

Making a black Taj

IN the write-up "Making a black Taj" ("From here and there", November 4), it has been mentioned that although Emperor Shah Jahan planned to have a black monument to complement the white Taj, the project never took off. It was regarded as a bad omen and brought ill luck to him.

According to a contemporary French traveller, Tavernier, "Shah Jahan began to build his own tomb on the other side of the river, but the war which he had with his son interrupted his plan, and Aurangzeb, who reigns at present, is not disposed to complete it."

Evidently, the Taj was just a part of the Mughal monarch's more comprehensive architectural scheme. He planned his own mausoleum, a replica of the Taj, albeit in black marble. Both the edifices were to be connected by a bridge. His eldest son, Aurangzeb, usurped the throne and

The notion that the project was believed to be a bad omen and brought ill luck to Shah Jahan is just a capricious imagination. Even if the Emperor had not begun to build his own tomb, he would have met the same fate at the hands of Aurangzeb, who was a perfect master of the art of dissimulation and had the ability to handle situations to achieve his objectives skilfully, diplomatically and by cunning strategy.

In captivity, the miserable potentate found solace in offering prayers and having sight of the Taj — a matchless monument of conjugal fidelity from the window of his bed-room.

BHAGWAN SINGH
Qadian

Woes of college teachers

This has reference to the news report "Principal's appointment upheld (The Tribune, Jan 7). The Haryana Government had enacted the Haryana Affiliated Colleges Security of Service Act in May, 1979. The purpose and tenor of the Act was to save the teachers and other employees working in private colleges from the high-handedness of private managements.

Under the Act, the entire gamut of service matters concerning teachers is vested in the statutory governing body of each affiliated-aided college. The governing body of each college is to have 11-21 members on it and is a body in perpetuity having three years tenure. The governing body of each college is the appointing and punishing authority of its staff.

In January, 1996, Section 2(e) of the Act was amended to the effect that "Managing Committee (also called governing body) means Managing Committee of an affiliated college or colleges". But the constitution and pattern of the governing body of each college as per Clause 6 of KUK Calendar remains unamended. The amended section nowhere states that the DAV management, New Delhi, is the managing committee of any or all 13 DAV colleges of Haryana. Further, there cannot be any common governing body of all the DAV colleges in the absence of any common cadre and common seniority.

ANIL BHATIA
Hisar

No pollution from cement plant

This refers to a December 19, 1999, report "Barrenness — price of prosperity". The contents of the report are factually incorrect. I would like to submit the following:

The Government of India, Ministry of Environment and Forests, has granted permission to the cement plant at Darlaghat to divert 102 hac of forest land for non-forest purposes. This was done as per the laid down policy of the Government of India and after ensuring that the various requirements for such diversion are fulfilled by the company.

As regards the removal of approximately 20,000 trees, it is to be appreciated that the majority of these trees were saplings and class-V category and small plants. Besides this, the removal of all these trees is being done in a phased manner and the last of this lot is likely to be axed in the next 10 years or more as per the plan provided by the Forest Department, HP.

It has been claimed by the reporter that poisonous gases are being emitted from the Darlaghat cement plant and that the population living in the surrounding areas is suffering as a consequence from various diseases like asthma and TB. This is absolutely incorrect as the Darlaghat plant has been classified as one of the best managed plants in the country as the emission of polluting gases and dust is concerned.

As regards the tax holidays granted to the cement plant, this has been done in accordance with the HP Government Industrial Policy notified in 1991 when the Darlaghat plant was not in existence. However, the viability of the Darlaghat plant was absolutely based on the incentives being provided by the state government as per the 1991 industrial policy.

It is absolutely incorrect that the tax holiday is for 10 years. As per the industrial policy of 1991, the total period for sales tax exemption granted to the Darlaghat plant is for nine years out of which over four years have already elapsed.

As regards the export of clinker ex-Himachal, it is to be clarified that clinker is not a raw material but is a finished product as declared by the Government of India and which is a known fact to the Government of HP. Besides, as stated by the Industries Minister, HP, on 17-12-99, the state does not lose any amount on account of taxes by the export of clinker. In fact, it gets additional tax on account of goods carried by road.

S.S. MUMICK
Asstt Vice-President,
Gujarat Ambuja Cements Ltd
Sanjauli (Shimla)