The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Thursday, December 7, 2000,
Chandigarh, India

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

M A I L B A G

Value system and the police

MR JULIO RIBEIRO deserves to be complimented for his excellent article “Value system and the police” (Nov 30). The article compels appreciation for its delightfully balanced tone and tenor.

Indeed, the society gets the police it deserves. After all, the police set-up is manned by people churned out by society at large.

As the cherished value system of the old seems to have collapsed, yielding place to the one marked by stark consumerism/materialism, it would be unreasonable to expect the police to remain unaffected.

To say all this is not to condone “police transgressions” and defend the indefensible. Policemen — at all levels — should be well-behaved and their day-to-day conduct characterised by grace and dignity.

TARA CHAND
Ambota (Una)

Declining values: No doubt that declining moral fibre and values along with rampant corruption are evident almost everywhere, but there is a difference between police and other Government services. Whereas in other services, gratification may speed up some procedures or help overlook some essential rules/obligations, the corruption in police directly, either condones a crime or actively participates in its commission by looking the other way. By implication it amounts to conniving with the criminals. It is a pity that a force meant to prevent crime, becomes a criminal itself.

The police force today is feared most by the law-abiding citizens. All the law, it seems, is meant to be enforced only on the law-abiding.

MRS. SUMANDEEP KAPOOR
Jalandhar

Security at Naval Chief’s house

This has reference to your news item “Man intrudes into Naval chief’s house” (Dec 2). It is truly shocking that security of even the Naval chief could be breached. What is even more stunning is that the intruder could escape after firing shots. If such a security breach can occur at what must be a most fortified area of the national capital, what can be said of the security of ordinary citizens of the country?

Breaching high-security cordon has not occurred for the first time in the capital. A similar incident happened at Gandhi samadhi in Rajghat on October 2, 1986. Some intruder hiding behind bushes fired shots in the air as the then Prime Minister, the late Rajiv Gandhi, was going round the samadhi, offering floral tributes to the Father of the Nation. Such shocking security breaches in fact are an invitation to anti-India forces to continue indulging in their nefarious activities.

VIJAY AHLAWAT
Jind City

Dr Paroda’s removal

This has reference to your editorial on the sudden removal of ICAR Director General Dr R.S. Paroda, which has shocked the Indian scientists in particular, and the farming community in general.

Dr Paroda has played a unique role to strengthen the green, white and blue revolutions in the country with his dashing, dynamic and positive approach towards agricultural research and development.

The agricultural scientists of the country hold Dr Paroda in high esteem, at par with his predecessors like Dr B.P. Pal and Dr M.S. Swaminathan. The treatment meted out to the Chief of Indian Agriculture is at once unbecoming and humiliating, and smacks of some hidden motive of some bureaucrats and politicians.

This certainly portends none-too-bright a future for Indian agriculture and agricultural scientists.

RANJODH SINGH
Palampur

Pharmacist vs doctor

This is in response to the news item Pharmacist seek to prescribe brands (Nov 29).

The brand prescribing role of medicines to the patients by qualified pharmacist is better than doctors because only a qualified pharmacist has an expert knowledge of properties of drugs and of their formulations as medicines.

The specialised knowledge of pharmacist in disciplines such as pharmacology, biopharmaceutics, pharmaceutics, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology allows them to study factors which determine the biological availability of a drug from its pharmaceutical preparations, interpret serum drug concentrations with reference to factors such as adequacy of response, potential drug interactions, patient compliance, monitor therapeutic drug, manage adverse reactions to drugs etc.

LABHNESH JINDAL
Sangrur

Ruchika tragedy

This refers to the article “Ruchika’s tragedy” (Nov 25). Indeed, a couple of lessons can be learnt from this unfortunate episode.

Firstly, all is not lost yet on the morality and human values front. Social activists like Madhu Parkash, the media and the national social institutions like NHRC etc. are keeping the hope alive. Otherwise the known nexus between politicians and bureaucrats would have by now buried this case deep to be forgotten by the public.

Madhu Parkash and her family stand out the tallest in this fight against gross injustice. They have demonstrated an exemplary courage against all odds in fighting a protracted legal battle lasting over a decade or so. They have been repeatedly pressurised and threatened so that they stop pursuing the case against Mr S.P.S. Rathore.

Madhu Parkash and her family deserve the highest bravery award of the nation. They are the kind of people who inspire hope and cheerfulness in an otherwise highly dreary and corrupt society.

DR. K. S. BALAIN
Sonepat

Priyanka Chopra, army’s pride

Priyanka Chopra who was crowned Miss World 2000 at London on December 1, has not only done the nation proud but also the defence forces, in particular.

Earlier, Sushmita Sen and Lara Dutta and now Priyanka Chopra are all daughters of defence officers.

WG CDR C. L. SEHGAL (RETD)
Jalandhar