M A I L B A G

Measuring the feel-good factor

Apropos of the news-item “Feel good a US stock exchange term, says Digvijay” (March 27), to measure the feel-good factor, we must find out the opinions of the people on their day-to-day life on the basis of the Zero Point Life Index (ZPLI) survey as in China. People’s expectations should be regularly watched for the desirable changes to resolve their major problems.

Our economy will progress only when all citizens share the fruits of development. This cannot be perceived as a distribution problem but sharing the opportunities in the production process. If the common man is happy, it will give a boost to economic growth. Development should benefit one and all in the country. Therefore, we need to measure people’s feelings through continuous survey by the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO). The various factors for deterioration in the quality of life of the common man should be identified.

Dr M.M. Goel, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra

Legalising quackery The report that there are 15,000 unlawful elements practising medicine and surgery in Haryana seems to cause no remorse to the state government. It seems to be on the verge of legalising quackery. The Indian Medical Association has always been at the forefront of the fight against quackery. Sadly, governments, for reasons not purely altruistic, are themselves promoting it despite clear directions of the Supreme Court and the High Courts to eradicate quackery. True encouragement to indigenous system of medicine is laudable but trying to legalise quackery through the backdoor should be condemned. Teaching quacks how to use allopathic medicines and turning them loose on gullible public defies one’s comprehension. The police are promoting such crimes. No wonder, with such skewed policies, the health sector in Haryana is in a pathetic condition. I hope the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Supreme Court and the Election Commission will take cognisance of this and stop the Haryana government’s action. Dr NEERAJ NAGPAL, President-Elect, Indian Medical Association, Chandigarh

Attack on journalists

I have read with anguish the editorial “Targeting the media” (March 11). Journalists falling to the bullets of extreme ideologies, both of the government and the liberators, are a great and bold breed. They are young. They are fired by an imagination to bring out the truth and report first hand from the battle fronts where they are assigned duties by their paper bosses. In the present day we hear of their heroic deeds from the war zones of Afghanistan, Iraq and Kashmir.

Whereas I applaud their heroic deeds from these dangerous spots, I also empathise with their ambivalent ideological positions. They serve in these war-torn places because of their professional duties and not because they believe in the right and wrong of the warring groups. These places which have become battle fronts are remotely controlled by imperial interests in Washington, London, Moscow and New Delhi. The journalists in these zones are the foot-soldiers of their press-barons who share the ideologies with their governments in these world capitals.

There is no reason why we should have turmoil and blood currently in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kashmir if we find suitable peaceful solutions in these areas through facing the reality of situation on the ground. The real issue and answer is to put to vote what the populace of these areas wants. This can be done through the time-tested tools of democracy and international law plebiscite and the right of self-determination.

SIMRANJIT SINGH MANN, Former MP (Lok Sabha), Quilla S. Harnam Singh, Fatehgarh Sahib

Time to wake up

Apropos of Dr Harpal Singh Pannu’s letter “Insult in DC’s office” (March 17), I wonder in which world is Dr Pannu living. Didn’t he know that civil servants are indeed masters, not servants? In fact, they are super human beings. They are only for the politicians and not for the public. They have turned the common people into a herd of cattle.

We keep on tolerating all kinds of atrocities day in and day out. It is said even an ant turns when poked but we don’t do anything. The biggest culprit in the entire episode is the role of the so-called intellectuals who only sermonise but do nothing worthwhile. We only crib and criticise but do not believe in action. The need of the hour is to form pressure groups at all levels to bring a change. If we love our country, we have to wake up now. If the Professor of Sikh Studies of Punjabi University was insulted in the DC’s office, I wonder what would be the fate of an ordinary person.

BRIJ BEDI, Amritsar

II

The Tribune has done great service to the common man by publishing Dr Harpal Singh Pannu’s letter. This nuisance is not confined to Patiala but, of late, it has spread every where in Punjab. The officers, the so-called “public servants” in a democracy, have been enjoying too many facilities and comforts along with extensive police deployment at every point which was never seen before.

Ironically, even elected representatives are more interested in protecting their own selfish interests in the administration than the common people who have elected them. Remedial measures are needed to restore people’s confidence in the administration.

M.P.S. RANDHAWA, Dhapai (Kapurthala)

Rat race for stars

Taking the help of film stars to garner votes speaks volumes for the default morality of our political parties. This is ridiculous indeed. The political horizon has been rendered hazy due to dense stardust. It seems our political masters have nothing to offer to the masses about the burning problems confronting the country even after 57 years of Independence. Do Govinda, Hema Malini, Dharmendra, Jaya Prada, Sunil Shetty, Shakti Kapoor and others know better about the problems of the public? They are definitely crowd-pullers but not vote-catchers.

The voters are convinced that the leaders befool them by playing new tactics simply to win their votes. The leaders who have worked hard in their respective areas seldom need film stars to come to their rescue. Why hire stars when an effective electronic and print media is at the disposal of the political parties to carry their messages to the electorate?

KARNAIL SINGH, Ranjit Sagar Dam