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| Saturday, February 5, 2000 |
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HAVING passed the best part of my life in Shimla (1950-85) I read Manpreet Singh’s "Queen of the hills or hills of concrete?" (January 8), with concern. Shimla, conceived by the British for a population of some 30,000, is now a city with nearly two lakh people. It has lost its charm. New Shimla has come up. It is difficult to call Shimla a hill resort. Single storey wooden structures have given way to multi-storeyed houses. In a blatant violation of the advice of the geological survey experts, construction has come up in the Jakhoo area. This has put so much load on the hill that a part of Shimla, especially the Ridge and the Lakkar Bazar area, has sunk. The Lower Bazar area may collapse any time. The Mall is now full of potholes. Municipal and PWD authorities should be pulled up for this neglect. Another way to save whatever is left of Shimla is to transfer some offices elsewhere. |
| During 1976-81, I was at the Rashtrapati
Niwas (now Indian Institute of Advanced Studies which was
often visited by judges, government secretaries, union
ministers who would come to inaugurate seminars or
otherwise have a glimpse of the former Viceregal Lodge.
The government offices used to function from Gorton
Castle. The lush green lawns in the Rashtrapati Niwas and
Gorton Castle are now a matter of the past. It’s
time the state government acted to save the identity of
this one time ‘Queen of the Hills!’ S. S. JAIN Being a Punjabi This refers to "What it means to be a Punjabi" by K.S. Duggal (January 15). Punjabi ethos means devotion to duty, a willingness to fight for justice and faith in God. The writer has stressed upon the need of the people of Punjab to foster their Punjabi identity. To be a Punjabi is to love the Punjabi language take pride in the Punjabi way of life, to live in the harmony and peace and to cherish one’s heritage and love one’s country. The Punjabi identity gives no quarter to caste or creed in social conduct. One should feel proud to be a Punjabi. Punjabi love hard work and have inherited the skill of doing things on their own and not to look to others for succour. The Punjabi soldier has always held a place of pride in the battlefield. It is heartening to note that NRIs from Punjab are doing well and have not forgotten their roots. We must promote Punjabi ethos which represents respect for the truth. ONKAR
CHOPRA Early risers This refers to the article "Early risers are more stressed" by Aarti Kumar (January 15). The writer has mentioned several reasons as to why rising early is not as good as it used to be in the earlier times. The writer rightly says that this is due to change in lifestyles. However I feel that early rising is the best thing that can happen to a person. Even if early morning walk or reading a newspaper is considered non-beneficial, early rising gives you enough time to fresher yourself, exercise, go for a walk or even meditate. More importantly, rising early imparts a sense of discipline, particularly among students. VINISH GARG The right diet Apropos of Khushwant Singh’s column ‘Living the hard way’ (January 22), I would like to add that the human body requires certain essential food items. We must have the right kind of materials in our diet. But even the finest diets may fail if we have a negative attitude towards life. So, in addition to the right type of diet, we should meet the challenge of life with laughter, which is the best medicine for a long and happy life. He who laughs..... lasts! O.P. SHARMA |
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