M A I L B A G

Dissidence hits working of Punjab govt

The administration in Punjab has come to a standstill due to the infighting in the ruling Congress. The Chief Minister, during the last two years, did not think it worthwhile to meet his ministers, MLAs or the well wishers of his government. He hardly visited the sub-divisions, tehsils and thanas where the people face hardship. Instead, he spent his whole energy on taking on the Badals and fixing his own number two — Ms Rajinder Kaur Bhattal.

Captain Amarinder Singh has created a coterie around him which robbed him of certain good points he had. The ability of a leader is on test when he conducts himself from this position. If Capt Singh, as Chief Minister, has been good in public relations like that of Mr Badal and the late Beant Singh, the Congress would have been able to give a tough fight in any election to the Akali Dal. Now this possibility seems remote.

Maj NARINDER SINGH JALLO (retd), SAS Nagar

II

The Congress and the Akalis are equally responsible for most problems faced by Punjabis today. Apart from the river waters dispute and certain territorial problems, the division of Punjab created a divide in the minds of Sikhs and non-Sikhs. The Akalis and the Congress are also equally responsible for the Operation Bluestar and subsequent events. If successive Congress and Akali governments are responsible for corruption, the Congress can justifically be called the “Mother of Corruption”.

Col D.S. DHALIWAL (retd), Patiala

Your most obedient servant The middle “Your obedient maid servant” (Dec 11) reminds me of another interesting story. A young officer (Harris) who had just come out from England on his appointment to the ICS was aghast to find that in formal official communications he was require to sign himself at the end as “I have the honour to be/Sir/Your most obedient servant”. That was against all democratic and egalitarian concepts that he had become familiar with in his university education. Subsequently, he wrote a letter of protest to the Chief Secretary. “I cannot persuade myself to use this demeaning mode of address”, he said. “I am not a servant of anyone much less a most obedient one, and the idea of “honour” coming into the picture is just laughable. Please do something to have this ridiculous practice scrapped”, he wrote. The Chief Secretary thought for a while and not wanting to prolong the matter unduly began his reply in the recognised demi-official form: “My dear Harris”. Then he added: “I would however like to make it clear at the very outset that this mode of address notwithstanding you are not dear to me, and thank God you are not mine”. The reaction of Harris on receiving the reply can well be imagined. SAROOP KRISHEN, Chandigarh

A moving story

National Human Rights Commission Chairman Justice A.S. Anand’s article “The Ajay Ghosh Story” (Dec 20) points to our tedious and tiring judicial system. The delay of justice in the infamous Tandoor murder case and Safdar Hashmi murder case is a clear indication that justice delayed in justice denied. Some drastic steps need to be taken to mitigate the sufferings of both the litigants and the undertrials.

Though mobile courts and fast track courts are under consideration, lakhs of cases have been gathering dust for disposal with no early solution in sight. The idea of making India a developed nation by 2020 shall remain a dream if the gap between words and deeds widens. If justice fails to protect human rights, the nation fails.

GARGI ARORA, Chandigarh

Against public schools

I admire the report “Unschooled sensitivity” (Dec 17). Compliments to the writer for her grit in sharing her sensitive thoughts with the Tribune readership at large. There should be some ordained good in the young man in the ‘middle’ not joining a particular school. I am sure, he will groom into a much better human in any common school than the dissenting one could foresee.

After all, the late Lal Bahadur Shastri was not schooled in any ‘Sanawar’ or ‘Doon’. Yet, he performed much better than his public school alumni counterpart Prime Minister(s) did. Down with egoistic institutions!

K.L. NOATAY, Shimla