M A I L B A G

RSS — right perspective

Recently the RSS launched its Mass Awakening Campaign. The Swayamsewaks have been disseminating the Hindutva ideology of the biggest organisation. An attempt is being made to dispel unfounded doubts about the programmes of the RSS.

In your reputed daily, Ms Tavleen Singh published her Saturday tirade against the RSS some time back.

As a swayamsewak who has seen the functioning of the RSS, I think it is my sacred duty to show to the masses the real picture of the RSS.

During the Rashtra Jagran Abhiyan (Mass Awakening Campaign), the RSS has convincingly driven home the message: only the culturally united India can face the challenge of erosion of our inherited values. With the swayamsewaks (volunteers) contacting the people door to door over 50 thousand places all over the country where the RSS units are working, the words of Din Dayal Upadhaya have rung loud, “We have decided to serve the whole nation — and not merely a particularly community or class. All Indians are related to us. So long as we don’t make them proud of their motherland, we will continue to struggle.”

The main objective of the RSS is to evolve a national character. Vinobha Bhave once said, “No programme can give results in the country which has no national character.”

I think the Muslims themselves should take some lesson from the fraternal and cooperative functioning of the RSS.

The RSS has emerged as the most powerful organisation of the Hindutva in India. It has its war-time and also peace time agenda. During the Chinese invasion of India in 1962 and numerous Pakistani attacks, the RSS volunteers came out strongly like security forces to keep up the morale of the people. The volunteers contributed their services during the cyclones in Andhra Pradesh and Orissa, the earthquake in Latur, the droughts in Rajasthan and Gujarat, the floods in Delhi, Bihar and Assam, air-crashes in Charkhi Dadri and Patna and the furious spate of the Sutlej in Himachal Pradesh. It is preposterous to doubt the credentials of the biggest organisation in India.

Suman Sachar
Baijnath

Fruit trees

It was sad to read the news ‘Railways on de-greening spree’ and the editorial ‘Mass murder of trees (Nov 14). The proposal that new trees would be planted, is “welcome step.”

It is suggested that fruit trees like desi mango be planted. It is easy to grow.

Had our policy makers planted fruit trees, there would have been income of crores of rupees each year and tons of fruit available to the public at nominal rates.

In Bulgaria, apple trees are grown on either side of the road. So much in abundance are apples, that public is allowed to eat at the road side free of cost.

Dr H.D. Gupta
Chandigarh

Water problem in Shimla

This is regarding scarce supply of water to the residents of Bharari, a suburb of the Shimla town.

During the campaign for the general elections in 1998, the BJP had assured the voters of Shimla town that drinking water would be supplied both in the morning and evening.

The party has been in power for nearly two years and yet there is no adequate supply of water even once a day.

In the above context the new storage tank under construction at Bharari needs a mention. The raising of this tank was proposed to ease the situation. Its construction commenced some time during 1997 but the work was shelved soon after its foundation was laid.

Tarsem Singh
Shimla

No work, all pay

This is with reference to your editorial “No work, all pay” (Nov 29). The senior ministers are not prepared to share power with the state ministers. So, the junior ministers enjoy all the privileges at the cost of the State Exchequer without performing any useful duty.

We all know that some more departments could be clubbed together and placed under one minister and money could be saved.

But political heads have their own difficulties and creation of more jobs is just a compulsion with the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers of states.

Dalip Singh Wasan
Patiala

Miseries of students

The Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar, was established to bring all engineering colleges under one umbrella for smooth administration and welfare of the students.

But it has not worked on expected lines. Not only the date sheets are being sent to the students at the nick of time but also results are not declared months together. Many students could not appear in examinations even after depositing fees. Some students could not receive roll numbers as colleges concerned did not intimate them in time.

This is not the end of miseries of students. This year also results of many papers have not been declared even after five months. For example, supplementary examinations for engineering, architecture of 5th, 8th and 9th semesters were held in May/June 2000. But the results of the same have not been declared so far.

If the university is over burdened, then some other alternative way must be found to lessen this burden. But it should not play with the career of the students.

Pushpa
Chandigarh

Be kind to calves

This is with reference to a letter by Jyotsna Khanna (Nov 27) in which she has demanded that colostrum be made available for human consumption. Does she realise that the colostrum milk that an animal gives is for its new born which needs it in that form during its first day.

Human beings are already depriving young calves of their requirement of their mothers’ milk. There is a huge variety of food available for human consumption and enjoyment. Please let little babies have a little of what nature has provided for them.

Rajesh Kumar
Panchkula

A law unto himself

The Central Government has reportedly sent a proposal to the Tamil Nadu and Karnataka governments to launch a commando operation to nab the forest bandit Veerappan.

The Centre will deploy NSG commandos, who are specially trained to deal with terrorists in jungles, mountains and deserts ("Centre’s plan to nab Veerappan", Nov 17).

In fact, the then Central government should have deployed commando forces more than a decade ago in view of the lackadaisical handling of the matter by the two state governments. Since then Veerappan is said to have killed about 130 persons, including 31 police and 10 forest officials, and 2000 tuskers and smuggled ivory and sandalwood to the extent of hundreds of crores of rupees.

The 55-year old moustached brigand, who carried a whopping reward of Rs 40 lakhs on his head, has now virtually become sovereign of the Sathyamangalam forest.

According to former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Jayalalitha, Veerappan’s gang had been virtually eliminated in as much as the number of its members were reduced from 150 to only three including him.

Now that the Central government has expressed its intention to intervene in the matter, one believes that it really means business.

Bhagwan Singh
Qadian