M A I L B A G

Dream pipeline and tunnel

IN the editorial "Dream pipeline" (June 14) you have rightly remarked that both India and Iran had reservations about the safety of the Pakistan portion of the Iran-India gas pipeline, but the reasons advanced by you for a change of heart on the part of these countries are not convincing. The reality that the sea route will be more expensive and that Pakistan is to get a sizable amount as royalty, has always been known to everybody.

I do not agree with you that in pan-Islamic councils, Iran has enough clout to punish Pakistan if it fails to protect the pipeline. You must not forget that Muslims in Iran are Shias and their relations with Sunnis in the neighbouring countries like Iraq etc are anything but cordial.

Which Muslim country, in your opinion, is likely to punish Pakistan for the sake of pleasing India, the end beneficiary of the pipeline? Let India not live in a fool's paradise. If it really is keen on the safety of the pipeline passing through Pakistan, it must have some completely deterrent device under its absolute control to deal with this country.

One such device can be tunnel for diverting the water of the Chenab river flowing through the Indian territory to Pakistan into the Indian portion of the Ravi.

S.P. MALHOTRA, Panchkula

Anti-teacher reports

It is distressing to note that after a ban on tuitions in Haryana, the hitherto respectful image of college teachers has taken a beating. Almost daily news items denigrating the teaching community as a whole are splashed in newspapers by blowing one or the other odd case out of proportions, especially by a couple of Hindi dailies.

There has been an attempt by some unscrupulous elements in the media to sensationalise a couple of incidents concerning tuition work or to concoct a frivolous story just to malign this profession. It seems that these people like to gloat over such blasphemies to satisfy their own ego that could never make a good student out of them.

Such mischief-mongers should desist from trying to tar the whole teaching community with the same brush. No doubt this profession today has shed off a lot of nobility that it could boast of in the past, yet there is no replacement of a teacher in the moral fabric of the Indian society.

Hence it is very important that the image of a teacher is maintained in and outside schools and colleges, otherwise society itself is likely to disintegrate. Thousands of students look up to their teachers for inspiration and guidance in their struggle of life. Thousands have teachers as their role-models and thousands wish to join this profession simply because they have great love and respect for their teachers.

Let such valued and precious feelings remain intact in the larger interest of society in general and the student community in particular.

Dr VINOD ‘MAZAAR’, Yamunanagar

Defence laboratory

A report published in The Tribune (June 15) stating that the Defence Laboratory has withdrawn its facility from the Army is untrue. Mr P.D. Dandariyal has never been sent by DEAL to the Kargil & Drass areas. Therefore, the individual heading a team and being called back is a baseless and fabricated story. The jargon such as night communication etc which is being used is totally out of context. The Defence Electronics Applications Laboratory (DEAL) has always played a responsible role in providing quick and effective communication during all our national crises.

Dr A.S. BAINS, Director, DEAL, Dehradun

Income Tax Act

As the present government has taken up the responsibility to have a new Income Tax Act, it is hoped that its writing will be entrusted to competent hands and not to a handful of sycophants. Each word, para and clause in the Act should convey its clear sense and no ambiguity should be left out as was in the case of the Income Tax Act, 1961.

Before presenting the new Act to Parliament for approval, its manuscript should be published, inviting suggestions from tax-payers and professionals. Accordingly, necessary changes should be made in the manuscript.

N.D. BANSAL, Ludhiana

GND varsity results

The VC and the Registrar of G.N.D. University daily claim in press reports that the results of various classes are being declared promptly and efficiently. As far as promptness is concerned, at least 50 per cent of the results are shown as RL (result later) or ML (marks later) on flimsy grounds. This reduces the work by half and puts the vast number of candidates to untold inconvenience, misery and harassment.

Here is an example of inefficiency and deliberate corruption in the administration. If a thorough checking is done, hundreds (if not thousands) of such examples can be found. The father of this girl (Sukirat Kaur) is working in the university. She gets 199 marks out of 320 marks in Agronomy theory (written) and practical papers as per the detailed marks card (DMC). Surprisingly, she gets 172 marks out of 80 in agronomy as internal assessment. The total should, accordingly, be 960. But the total is shown as 870.

The DMC is prepared by one clerk, checked by another and counter-signed by an Assistant. It bears the signatures of the Controller of Examination and everything is done under the efficient control of the Registrar. Who is morally responsible for such horrors?

SUKHJINDER SINGH, Amritsar