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Friday,
May 10,
2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Implications of
Karachi blast Speaker from Parivar |
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Ravi Sidhu case and
beyond
When Chandigarh was
young Plea to return to Asia’s identity
Right to be
informed is sacrosanct
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Implications of Karachi blast KARACHIITES are not unfamiliar with bomb blasts. But the one that claimed 14 lives, including those of 11 French naval experts, on Wednesday appeared to be different in character. It cannot fall in the category of sectarian killings. Nor is it an act of revenge between the two MQM factions, the dominant one headed by Muhajir leader Altaf Hussain. It is a powerful indicator of a new phenomenon emerging as part of the growing culture of violence in Pakistan. The Karachi incident, the handiwork of a “fedayeen” (member of a suicide squad) who used a car-bomb to destroy a bus with French technicians on their way to a submarine building base, is a clear warning to the USA and its Western allies in the war against international terrorism that their job is not yet over. This also shows that the large number of activists of Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda network and Taliban elements who had sneaked into Pakistan after the military campaign in Afghanistan are quietly working to their plan. They have no dearth of supporters. Those behind the suicide bomb blast have told President Pervez Musharraf in their own language that he cannot mislead the world about his popularity among the public. The 97.5 per cent referendum vote does not mean that the majority of the Pakistanis approve of his policies and programmes. He is treated as an agent of the West being helped to protect its interests in the region. His stay in power, for five years or more, it seems, will only further destabilise Pakistan’s polity. In fact, General Musharraf’s gameplans have also got exposed with Wednesday’s gory happening that followed the recent release of 130 persons convicted on terrorism charges. Their freedom from captivity was “celebrated” with political and other murders in the streets of Karachi, Pakistan’s commercial capital. His initial tough stance on terrorism, reflected in his well-thought-out televised address in January, is getting diluted as part of a strategy to woo back those who had openly opposed the U-turn in Pakistan’s Afghan policy. These are extremist elements, part of the larger religious constituency. The terrorist outfits (cunningly called jehadi organisations), now operating disguisedly, draw their sustenance basically from this section of society. General Musharraf’s softening attitude towards the religious constituency is aimed at preventing his political opponents from gaining substantial strength. Here, however, he is deviating from the commitment he has made on the issue of terrorism. The West, particularly, the USA, should take note of it. He is trying to hide his double-game by blaming India for the killings of French nationals. The Americans must tell him unambiguously that indulging in this foolhardy will not do. It is in Pakistan President’s own interest to get tough with terrorists, extremists and their sympathisers. If he cannot produce the desired results the world will be forced to accomplish the task. |
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Speaker from Parivar IT is not easy to follow the dharma of coalition. The Bharatiya Janata Party has had to follow it not because it believes in it, but because of the conditions that the allies had laid down for forming the National Democratic Alliance. The post of the Lok Sabha Speaker had gone to the Telugu Desam Party as part of the deal for giving outside support to the NDA. After Mr Chandrababu Naidu gave up the party’s claim to the post, because of the Gujarat-related political compulsions in Andhra Pradesh, the BJP was hoping that its claim for the post of the Lok Sabha Speaker would be accepted by the allies. However, a number of factors made the BJP leadership abandon the idea. One reason was the reluctance of men of stature like Mr Jagmohan to becoming the presiding officer of the Lok Sabha. However, The BJP’s political soulmate, and an important member of the Sangh Parivar, the Shiv Sena played a major role in making the BJP give up its dream of having the Speaker from its own ranks. It is said that Bal Thackeray did not relish the idea of the post going to Mr Ram Naik. Today the House will complete the formality of electing Mr Manohar Joshi as the Speaker following the death of G. M. C. Balayogi in a plane crash. The Congress Parliamentary Party has rightly decided to follow the tradition of supporting the candidate picked up by the ruling alliance. Only the Left parties have decided to stay away rather than help the House elect a Shiv Sainik as the Speaker. Whether Mr Manohar Joshi will be able to do justice to the new assignment will depend on a number of factors. A Speaker is usually as fair in his rulings on critical issues as the ruling party lets him to be. For instance, Mr P. M. Sayeed, who as Deputy Speaker had to preside over the week-long bedlam caused by the Gujarat developments, could have allowed a debate on the issue on the very first day. However, after several meetings with leaders from both sides failed to break the deadlock he allowed the debate under Rule 184. There are those who believe that Mr Sayeed allowed the debate under a rule that provides for a vote on the motion only after the ruling party gave him an indirect hint to go ahead whatever was necessary for breaking the impasse. Of course, it would be unfair to judge Mr Manohar Joshi’s likely conduct as presiding officer on the basis of his links with the Shiv Sena. Had India followed the British tradition there would have been no scope for worry on this count. A member who is elected Speaker of the House of Commons ceases to be a member of any political party. That is why he is allowed reelection as an independent candidate without a contest. Be that as it may, the Indian record is fairly
adequate. No presiding officer has ever deliberately tried to act in a partisan manner in conducting the business of the House. There is no reason to believe that Mr Manohar Joshi would act differently. |
Ravi Sidhu case and beyond THERE
has been an overwhelming response from the people to the front-page editorial "No, My Lord!" (The Sunday Tribune, May 5, 2002). I never thought that ideas or ideals like the people's right to information, freedom of the Press and transparency in the investigation process of the PPSC scam would evoke such massive support from the readers. The huge number of telephone calls since then gave me a clear indication of the citizens' perspective on the most sensitive arm of governance symbolised by the judiciary. Ninety per cent of the persons who rang me up were speaking to me for the first time. They were from all walks of life in the entire region, including Delhi. There were youthful administrators, chartered accountants, doctors, university professors, lawyers, journalists, women, retired generals and heavy-weight politicians (cutting across political barriers) belonging to Punjab, Haryana and beyond. There were youngsters as well as
old-timers from the police and the IAS. At the end of the day, I could draw the following conclusions: One, the people are alert and alive to the goings-on in the polity though they generally prefer to remain silent. However, once they feel that they are getting the right lead on matters dear to their hearts, they do not hesitate to speak out. Two, in addition to the general disgust at the existing state of affairs, the people seem to be nursing bottled-up feelings even against the working of the judiciary. They resent certain functional aspects of the judicial system, the general drift and the growing shadow of undesirable activities. The sharp public reaction was a revelation. This may come as a shock to all those who have put the judiciary on a high pedestal, and rightly so. The people have had high expectations from the judges. They do not want them to be part of the aberrations that the rest of society suffers from. Three, once convinced about the correctness of the cause, the people are willing to go along with the bold and the upright. The spontaneous response of thousands of lawyers in Chandigarh and other parts to the issues of freedom of information and corruption is unprecedented. It is a landmark event. This should help us to keep our hopes alive for a better system and better times ahead. It cannot be overemphasised that the people have not taken kindly to the affairs in the Punjab Public Service Commission. They are terribly angry at the trading in jobs. The judiciary needs to bear in mind the public sensitivity in the matter while looking at legal tangles in the Ravi Sidhu case. What is right and what is wrong can be interpreted differently in legal terms. All the same, everything needs to be viewed in the larger framework of how public institutions and persons at the helm should conduct themselves. Truth has to be seen as truth. It cannot be turned into falsehood with the help of legal jargon. Even more than this, what needs to be guarded against is manipulation by operators engaged in a desperate cover-up exercise. They are under watch. The public can see through such dubious games of misinformation and disinformation with the help of pliable persons even in the media. The right of the media to report events freely, fearlessly but in a fair and objective manner must not be undermined. Only in a free atmosphere without an air of secrecy can we ensure transparency and accountability of the system. The Ravi Sidhu affair cannot be kept away from public gaze. It is not a defence secret! The judiciary must see its role in a larger perspective of fairplay, justice and public sensitivities. The record has to be kept straight. Information has to be both correct and objective so that the people are well-informed about the goings-on in critical areas of public life. It is reassuring that responding to the outcry of the Bar and the Press, a two-member Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court ruled prima facie on Wednesday that the public right to know and to be informed of a case like the one against the PPSC Chairman "could not be curtailed in the name of secrecy of information". Where do we go from here? Well, corruption knows no boundaries. Nor does it go by the colour of a party flag or anybody's skin. Indira Gandhi once dismissed it as part of a global phenomenon. That may truly be. But in India corruption hits and hurts the common people the most. In the present free-for-all system of corrupt practices the advantage rests with those who occupy positions of power and patronage. The mind-boggling revelations in the PPSC scam during the past two months show the extent of degeneration of even independent and constitutionally protected positions. Poor founding fathers! They could not have imagined this gutter-level decline in the system in independent India. If merit is given a go-bye in filling top slots in the PCS (Judicial), the PCS (Executive), the police and other "important" departments, pray, what will be the fate of our educated unemployed youths or the quality of governance? There is big money in recruitment. L' affaire Ravi Sidhu puts into shade the known murky dealings of the underworld. If Rs 3.5 crore could change hands, as alleged during the course of preliminary investigation for the post of SSP, one can imagine the plight of ordinary citizens. What is true of the PPSC might also be true of similar other bodies, though the rates may vary. It will take some time before shady deals in other areas come to light. The example set by the investigators of the PPSC scandal will, hopefully, prompt some right-thinking persons to go deep into the job-for -money syndrome. The way out of this highly messy situation is radical reforms. Public service commissions have to be depoliticised with built-in checks and balances with due stress on transparency and accountability. The present procedures and provisions for appointing their chairmen and members have to undergo drastic changes. These positions must not be treated as a political fiefdom to adjust the undeserving and the unwanted. It is for experts to go into the whole gamut of reforms in these crucial areas so that the existing loopholes are plugged and the entire system is revamped. I hope the Punjab government will take up this matter on a priority basis, keeping in view the fact that the people want a clean system and fair governance. The guiding principle here has to be merit and not money power and undue influence. Our youngsters must not be treated as playthings to satisfy the lust of the corrupt and the greedy. Nothing can be more shameful than the exploitation of the youth by denying them the right to get jobs on merit, and getting jobs instead by bribing touts, middlemen and manipulators. The message is clear: corruption does not—and should not—pay. Nemesis catches on. The Gita, Guru Granth Sahib, the Quran, the Bible and all other scriptures eloquently underline that wrong acts are self-destructive and that only the path of dharma makes life sublime. The law has to take its course. Those found guilty have to be punished. The judiciary too will have to tread cautiously. Those who have "purchased" jobs can indulge in any mischief. All the same, care has to be taken that those who have got it on merit do not suffer. It is a ticklish task. But the response must be just and fair and seen to be so. Determination with fair play. That should be the guiding principle. Those with clearly-established cases of bribery must be made to pay a price. Total scrapping of all the 4,000 appointments may, however, be unfair. Mr Ravi Sidhu and his touts apparently concentrated on the creamy-layer of recruitments. These recruitments must be probed and probed closely. Those who have got in on merit must not be harassed. The credibility of the entire judicial system and the police's investigation machinery will be on a severe test. The right persons of proven integrity can make all the difference in this crucial public interest matter. The whole nation is watching Punjab. As it is, signs of some persons in the Vigilance set-up and outside playing games with a view to weakening the charges against some "selective" persons are already visible. The process of corruption, of course, cannot be reversed overnight. It is a long-drawn battle. A testing time has begun for the Chief Minister. He is well-meaning and means business. But he needs to sideline persons of doubtful integrity from his circle and from this case. The Maharaja has already earned considerable goodwill. But a lot now depends on whether he remains well-focused and well-targeted for the good of the people or gets deflected by his opponents or by operators. It is for him to see that he is not taken in by the "sycophancy power" of the persons hovering around him. Proper handling of the Ravi Sidhu case will be his first major test as Chief Minister. |
When Chandigarh was young “GROW old along with me, the best is yet to be”. I had shared this optimism of the poet when I came to this city way back in 1956. It was a toddler then and we have grown up together from the days of its childhood to youth and to manhood. Alas, the promised “best” remains unfulfilled as Chandigarh shows signs of creeping old age even before attaining middle age. It was not so 46 years ago when there was exuberance in the air and the promise of dreams. “Bliss it was in that dawn” to live here in spite of the want of many amenities. Those were the days of sherbets of badam and gulab and nimbu pani and the “colas” had not shoved their thumbs down our throats with their hard sell. There was no pollution in the air nor any tall buildings to obstruct the clear and scintillating view of the hills. Many are the fond memories of those youthful days, in particular those revolving round the civil secretariat where I worked. There was that joyful day when the secretariat building was completed and a function held at the very place where the flag-pole stands at present and the national flag proudly flutters in the breeze. The dynamic Chief Minister, Sardar Partap Singh Kairon, had invited Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to this function. I was fortunate enough to be present there and hear the speeches of the two great luminaries. Kairon Sahib had extolled the role of the secretariat as providing the “brain” of the administration. Panditji had quipped that it should also be the “heart” in addition to the “brain”. The cheers and the sounds of zindabad still ring in my ears. Chandigarh was a model, a novelty and an
eye-opener for all. The original concepts had not yet been copied elsewhere. The freshness about the town planning and the architecture drew tourists in hordes every winter and they made a beeline for the secretariat building where I worked. There was no tourism or public relations arrangements in place to guide the visitors. They were taken round by an untutored gatekeeper and the tourist came out grimfaced and unenlightened. So one winter morning, I think it was in 1961, when a group of four fair-looking foreign ladies landed at the main gate — there were no security barriers then — I had a sudden impulse to approach them and offer to conduct them through the building after explaining my association with it. Since I was unschooled in architectural or structural engineering except for a few details picked up from different handouts, I decided to keep the attention of the party away from possible technical enquiries and dwell on the aesthetic and utilitarian aspects beside regaling them with amusing anecdotes. We reached the top floor of the secretariat which is easily the best place to give a bird’s eyeview of the entire capital project. With the terrace garden and the cafeteria around, a clear view of the majestic Shivalik range takes one’s breath away. It was easy to dilate on the beauty of the scene and unfold the concept of the youthful city. The ladies clicked away their cameras while I mentioned some of the laughter that lurks in the corridors. For instance, while coming down the ramps, I mentioned how it was the donkeys and the mules that carried the material upward as each level was completed. I added humorously that it was the donkeys who got there first and even now it was a donkey’s load that each member working under the roof has to carry. The grimness had vanished from the countenance of the ladies and they were all smiling. At the gate they insisted on giving some gift to me but on my total refusal to take any sort of gift, they offered their cheeks for me to kiss as a token of remembrance. I reluctantly complied under the envious watchful bulging eyes of my colleagues. That scene of youthful exuberance has stayed with me and, I wonder, where “the best that was yet to be” has gone. |
Plea to return to Asia’s identity TOLERANCE
and diversity, we are told, are the two distinguishing features of the Asian identity. Who said this? Two eminent ladies of Asia — Ms Kumaratunga and Ms Soekarnoputri. And yet there is no tolerance to be found anywhere in South Asia. How is one to explain this? There is only one explanation: while the religions born in South Asia are founded on tolerance and diversity, the semitic religions, which are new entrants in the region, are not founded on tolerance. They are against diversity, against pluralism. The Pope proclaimed from the soil of India that the Vatican’s mission in the 21st century is to “plant the Cross in Asia”. In other words, to convert Asia into Christianity. The Muslim fundamentalists say that their unfinished business is to conquer the rest of the World for Islam. They even go further: they say that they can achieve their spiritual goals only in an Islamised society. There is no scope here for co-existence. Can Hinduism agree to disappear? It cannot. It has a distinct mission in the world — to spread tolerance. In the Vatican declaration “Dominus Jesus”, the Pope exhorts Catholic theologians to “baptize all nations”. It says: “God wills the salvation of everyone through the knowledge of the truth”. But the “truth” is with the Church only. The document is particularly hostile to the concept of religious pluralism. It states that its aim is to “rule out in a radical way” the thinking that “one religion is as good as another.” Islam considers other religions as “false”. Maulana Maududi, a fundamentalist exponent of Islam, concentrates his ire on secularism as the main adversary of Islam because it “banishes religion from public life”. Secularism creates its own values in violation of the values of Islam, he says. When Muslims swear by secularism in India, how are we to interpret it? The Hindus belong to a different tradition. Their tolerance is rounded on a very long tradition. In the “Nasadiya Sukta” of the Rig Veda, the most sacred scripture of the Hindus, the rishi-poet says: “He from whom this creation arose, Whether he made it or did not make it, The highest seer in the heaven, He knows — or does even he not know?” Well, he has doubts about even God’s knowledge of the final truth: So it was natural for him to set out on an eternal quest to explore the ultimate truth. This is blasphemy to the Semitic faiths. For them, the truth is already revealed by God. There is no cause for further enquiry. Man’s role is merely to live a repetitive existence till he is called up for final judgement. But the quest of the Hindu makes his life more meaningful. What is more, the quest of the Hindu led to freedom — freedom of his mind and freedom of his senses. These led to the diversity of his achievements, and contributed to the richness of India’s civilisation. Remember, Socrates was forced to drink the hemlock; the Inquisition burnt the Christian apostates at the stake and Islam beheaded its dissenters. Which explains why the Christian and Islamic civilisations are so poor in content. Having set out on his quest, the Hindu discovered some final truths. For example: “Ekam sad viprah bahuda vadanti” (Truth is one, the learned describe it variously.) After this, he had no cause to be dogmatic, or claim infallibility. India chose to remain tolerant of differences. Freedom of the mind created the world of thought — the world of religions and philosophies — and freedom of the senses gave us our music and dance, painting and sculpture, arts and architecture — in short, the sights, sounds and smells of our civilisation. If India’s diversity is without parallel, it is because India had always been free to think. No other civilisation can make similar claims. Freedom led to diversity and diversity to the richness of the civilisation and richness led to tolerance. In short, the Hindu way of life was born. It was characterised by an eternal quest for truth. It produced freedom and diversity. Above all, tolerance. A religion can be tolerant of other religions only if it tolerates diversity within itself. This is true of Christianity today, not of Islam, which excommunicates any group for the slightest deviation. The Hindu never fell to the error of imagining, as the West does, that he has the ultimate truth and that no further enquiry was required. Says Dr S. Radhakrishnan, “The Aryan did not possess the pride of the fanatic that his was the true religion.” India has never been afraid of knowledge. The “Gyana marga” is one of the ways to salvation among the Hindus. No such liberty exists in the Semitic faiths. This spirit of accommodation and tolerance led to concepts like universal brotherhood. In one of his Rock Edicts, Emperor Ashoka says: “There is no higher service than the welfare of the whole world”. Although an ardent Buddhist missionary, Ashoka never insisted that the world should first embrace Buddhism. Nor did he divide the world into a Christian and pagan world, into a Dar-ul-Islam and Dar-ul-Harb. For him, there were no enemy lands. All were his brothers. There are many Hindus in India who want to follow the Semitic path. There are Muslims who still believe in the two-nation theory. And there are Christians who believe that salvation is possible only through Jesus Christ. It is obvious that these people do not reflect the tolerant and accommodative spirit of India, they do not accept its diversity. In short, they do not know how to live in a multi-cultural society. One led to many and many led to one — this is the cycle of evolution and involution according to Hindu philosophy. Diversity is rooted in India’s basic concepts. India abhors dogmatism. It is comfortable with speculation and transcendence. Thus, there can be different forms, but only one substance; different roads, but only one goal. It is this simple acceptance of diversity which has guided India’s outlook. And this explains its theory of “Sarvadharma Samabhava”. Do Christians and Muslims subscribe to this theory? Once they do so, South Asia will be different. We will be back with our Asian identity.
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Right to be informed is sacrosanct THE front-page leader “No, my lord!” by Hari Jaisingh is a brilliant piece of personal and professional courage. If even one per cent of what has come out is true, then Sidhu is not an ordinary criminal, but a traitor. The public has the right to be fully informed about Sidhu’s acts of omission and commission. Any effort to curtail these rights, in any manner, would force any reasonably intelligent individual to adduce motives to such efforts. Our right to be informed is sacrosanct. We should not allow anybody to try to put wraps on Sidhu’s misdeeds. His evil doings would have very long lasting impact on the state’s administration. Let us demonstrate to the powers-that-be that we are awake, and from now on, we mean business, clean, honest and transparent. M.
S. KHERS, Khadur Sahib A public servant The front-page editorial was thought-provoking and frank, and has been liked by one and all. Equally informative is the article by Anupam Gupta (May 6). An additional fact which I would like to point out is that a “public servant” whether in the executive/judiciary or other branches of administration, howsoever low or highly placed, remains a servant of the public, who is the master. This applies to the politicians as well as others holding high Constitutional posts. The master has the right to know about the misdeeds of his servant so that timely remedial steps can be taken for future. The public servant has to be an impartial, effective and honest person and that is what the public expects from the public servant. Any person eroding this confidence of the public cannot be spared and his misconduct and misdeeds must be exposed. D. A timely call Mr Hari Jaisingh has given a just, bold and timely call to the judiciary in the wake of the recent high court order regarding media coverage of the Ravi Sidhu affairs. The directions clearly amount to an infringement of the right of expression bestowed upon every Indian as a fundamental right by the Constitution. Its is the same right from which freedom of the Press flows out. In an age where we are raising slogans of transparency along with the raising demand for the right to information to be given to the masses, the order by Mr Justice Garewal needed to be reviewed judiciously. POONAM S. CHAUHAN, Rohtak Transparency Information being collected and given to the media was proof of the transparency of the investigating agency so that the investigation could not be faulted or tainted. We know how poor the success rate of our criminal investigating agencies has been in courts of law. Witnesses are won over and even rapists and murderers get away scot-free. To gap the Press at such a stage not only demoralises the investigating agency, rather it deprives the people of their valuable right to information as provided by Article 19 of the Constitution. Many young men and women burn their mid-night oil and spend a huge amount of hard-earned money of their parents on education and appear in competitive examinations. They get dejected lot, despite their having fared well in tests and interviews when their names do not appear in the list of successful candidates for reasons which have stunned many. R.
K. SACHDEVA, Kurukshetra Good for youth Leakage of information in Sidhu’s case does not obstruct the judicial procedure of the courts. Moreover, this type of information will give boost to the youngsters who were not selected during the chairmanship of Sidhu. They are thankful to the Press and the police for putting a trap on corrupt officers and touts. DR RATTAN SINGH, Amritsar Matter of faith Mr Jaisingh’s appeal is not only on behalf of all those whose future was ruined by these culprits but also from all of us whose trust, faith, belief once again been shaken in the present administration. It is difficult to understand as what prompted or pursued the judiciary to pass such a statement which would act as a veil to the guilty. Thus depriving the commoners from their rights & prohibiting the media from performing its duty. AMEENA GULERIA, Shimla Bar’s initiative There is still a ray of hope. The Bar Association did a commendable job by instantly launching an attack on judicial aberrations. The only panacea lies in inculcating moral values in our children. UMRAO SINGH KANG, Chandigarh Reminder of Raj Mr Justice Garewal has sought to restrict the right of the common man to the goings-on in Ravi Sidhu’s case. It is reminiscent of British rule in India and attempts made then to stop free and fair reporting. PRABHJIT KAUR,
Jalandhar Credit to S.S. Saini You have rightly given the due credit to Mr Sumedh Singh Saini and his team for their meticulous planning and execution of the operation to nab Ravi Sidhu and his touts. This will inspire the Punjab Police to perform its duty without fear and favour, which otherwise in general, gets more brickbats than bouquets from the public. NASIB CHAND, Jalandhar Public support I was delighted to read your editorial and Anupam Gupta’s “Point of law.” The people still have faith in the judiciary. People are with you and want fair and free press reporting. RANJIT S. DHILLON,
Ludhiana High praise The boldness with which Mr Hari Jaisingh has defended freedom of the Press and the people’s right to information wins for him high praise and support of the public. O.
P. CHHABRA, Mohali Conscience-keeper “No, my Lord!” will be remembered as a historical write-up, as a landmark piece to keep the flame of truth burning. PUCL has always stood for the liberty of the Press as the real custodian of democratic values and even if the judges sitting in prestigious positions are found or suspected to be “tainted”, the Press will always prove to be the conscience-keeper of the nation. Dr.
H. S. SINHA, Kurukshetra Face of truth The face of truth may be fierce and awsome. The raw reality is often ugly and revolting. But the roots of our democracy need to be nourished by the free flow of information. Transparency needs to inform our governance and public institutions. RAM VARMA, Panchkula A decadent system You have represented the sentiments of the people with well measured words which convey more than what is written therein. The judgement was vitiated because of the appearance of names of some of the judges in the media. The order does not stand the test of logic and this is a symptom of a decadent system. You have emerged as the conscience-keeper of society. PRITHIPAL SINGH KAPUR, Ludhiana Pained & pleased The reader is pained and pleased. Pained to realise the fall of judiciary and pleased to find that still some people are breathing. IQBAL SINGH,
Damdama Sahib Capt’s crusade The Tribune deserves kudos for joining hands with Capt Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister, who took the bull of corruption by the horns on the very day of his taking the oath. The people have full faith in the judiciary despite the alleged involvement of some of the judges in the Sidhu scam. Capt Amarinder Singh should not buckle under any pressure and continue his fight against the cancer of corruption. The people are with him and have full faith in his determination to continue his war against corruption to finish. It is a long-drawn struggle to uproot the cancer of corruption. Nobody should expect concrete results overnight. No guilty is to be spared and no witch-hunting on political considerations. M.
L. DHAWAN, Chandigarh Voice of millions You have voiced the cry of millions of Punjabis who have been denied their rights for better jobs just because they did not have money to bribe corrupt officials. It is a great opportunity for Punjab to lead the country in providing a clean and honest administration. YASHWANT RAI, by e-mail Law is an ass It is a fact that law is said to be an ass but as a man in the street I think doomsday is not far away if we don’t remove bottlenecks from the ass. If law is an ass, how will we describe lecturers in law and heads of the law departments in universities? Why not have an ass university. Has anybody got the strength to say the bitter truth? BAKHSHISH SINGH ARORA, Jalandhar Rome bigger than Caesar If this case of PPSC selections is taken to the logical end and that too right in front of the people’s eyes, it is likely to go a long way in bringing to an end the virus that has polluted society deeply to the bone marrow. People’s expectations are that the judiciary will not while it away and streamline the matter even at the cost of sacrificing their brethren and comrades keeping in view that “Rome is bigger than Caesar.” Capt.
MOHINDER SINGH (retd), Patiala |
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Accept everything bravely It is said that no one gets punishment in his life time in Kalyug but you are lucky you have to sip the poison collected by you for generations to come. If you have little belief in God, then ponder and you will find that God has favoured you by not allowing this poison to pass to your offspring. In other words, He has blessed your clan by penalising you only. Treat jail going as a golden chance. Shun B class there for which you are entitled as it will not let you to mix up with other
jailmates. To admit is a great merit, so do it before all & sundry. Never give way; take the test whole heartedly and get through it boldly. Accept everything bravely & patiently. Refuse defence council, if any, for you and try to act upon the golden maxim; “Bear all, do nothing. Hear all, say nothing. “This will boost your morale as well. Take the punishment smilingly as a blessing. RAM MURAT SINGH, Barnala
Americans wonder at corruption level I work with different immigration law offices and frequently interface with government officers. In the US immigration department some officers regularly read The Tribune and ask me questions about Ravi Sidhu. They were amazed at the degree of corruption. How someone pays around $ 1 lakh and get a job and earns millions. Here a lady who was making 1.50 lakh US dollars per year was fired and sentenced to three months in jail just because she diverted a $ 750 contract to her husband’s firm without advertising it in media. See the difference. This Ali Baba (Ravi Sidhu) and 40 thieves should spend the rest of their life in jail. JASVIR, San Francisco
Media & other scams The May 3 order of the honourable Judge clearly shows that it is very easy (and perhaps an enjoyable experience) to point a finger at others and preach “I am holy”, but when one’s own dirty linen is washed in public, it becomes very painful and probably unlawful. Where was this order when the media was trying the (1) Sukhram corruption case (2) Manu Sharma case (3) K.K. Jerath case (4) Jharkhand bribery scam (5) Fertiliser scam (6) Bofor’s case (7) discretionary quota plot case. My lord, the list is endless. The judiciary drew great pleasure in passing daily orders in these cases and the names of the judges passing those orders were also printed in the media giving a lot of publicity and allied benefits to the judges. PRAVEER GOEL, by e-mail
Advocates, look within I would request the advocates to search their
conscience and give a thought to the following: Is it not true that clients are being fleeced by repeated adjournments and various other tactics? Are receipts given for the amounts charged as fees and incorporated in income tax returns? Are hopeless cases not accepted to exploit the clients and thus encourage crime? We lack moral character which reflects in every aspect of our society and that is why we are one of the most corrupt nations in the world. S.
L. DUGGAL, Solan Corrupt Punjabis zindabad! I have lived in different parts of India with people of different regions, religions and castes. I find Punjabis are more hard-working as compared to other people. Punjabis are also more corrupt than others. To get their job done, they adopt any means. Hard work plus bad money make their success story. I am sure no non-Punjabi will ever pay Rs 70 lakh as bribe to get a PCS or DSP’s job. It is the hard-working Punjabis who are always prepared for such “investment”. Corrupt Punjabis zindabad! Long live Ravi Sidhu! BALDEV
SINGH, Goindwal |
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