The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

NEWS AND VIEWS

PUNJAB

HARYANA

JAMMU & KASHMIR

HIMACHAL

REGIONAL BRIEFS

NATION

OPINIONS

MAILBAG

BUSINESS

SPORTS

WORLD

SPECIAL COVERAGE

CHANDIGARH

LUDHIANA

DELHI

M A I L B A G

Poll reforms needed to restore order

In his article “Sight of the tainted: Boycotting Parliament is also a disservice” (April 30), H.K. Dua examined the general debasement of political values in the country. It is time suggestions were sought from the intelligentsia to restore order in Parliament and in politics as a whole.

Judiciary can play a significant role in this regard. Instead of throwing the ball in the legislature’s court on every minor issue involving discrepancy in law, the Supreme Court must issue directions to undo the wrong, as it had done in the recent case involving the Jharkhand Governor.

Every possible forum should exert pressure on the politicians to bring in electoral reforms.

RAJIV BHALLA, Chandigarh

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor, neatly hand-written or typed in double space, should not exceed the 150-word limit. These can be sent by post to the Letters Editor, The Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh-160030.

Letters can also be sent by e-mail to: Letters@tribuneindia.com

— Editor-in-Chief

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

Mr Dua’s article was timely, educative and an eye-opener for all the political parties who send criminals and corrupt elements to Parliament and State Assemblies. Our MPs and MLAs are behaving in an irresponsible manner. This should change for the better.

Part of the problem is because of the background of the representatives. People should carefully cast their votes only in favour of the educated and clean politicians. Our members must be well qualified, intelligent and energetic. Only then, we can expect good proceedings in the legislatures as also good governance when these members become ministers.

D.P. JINDAL, Mandi Gobindgarh

III

Ours is the world’s largest democracy. However, because of the wrong doings of our representatives, Parliament is facing its worst crisis. Its functioning is being reflected badly on the people. If the Opposition charge that its voice is not being heard in Parliament is true, it is serious and calls for corrective measures.

We must ponder and stand unitedly irrespective of our political ideologies to save our democracy and the honour of our country.

D.R. SHARDA, Chandigarh

Parliament (or the State Assembly) is known as the “temple of democracy”. Members should not use this forum for any other purpose. They will be doing a great disservice to this institution if they do not make use of this institution for the noble purpose for which it is intended.

There is no place for fisticuffs or use of abusive language here. MPs and MLAs must behave as lawmakers and not as law breakers.

C LALL S CHANDER, Nangal (Ropar)

Train from Amritsar
A direct train from Amritsar to Chandigarh and back has been a long-standing demand of the people. However, railway authorities do not seem to heed the demand. Before the Lok Sabha elections, Mr Nitish Kumar, former Railway Minister, announced a direct train from Amritsar to Chandigarh. But the UPA government seems to have scrapped the decision.

Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav would do well to implement good decisions of his predecessor and win the hearts of the people instead of playing politics.
INDER SINGH, Ludhiana

Nanavati report

It is right time for the UPA government to table the Nanavati Commission Report in Parliament. Any further delay in this regard would create an impression that the government is shielding the suspects and the culprits. Though it may cause political uncertainty, it will restore people’s faith in justice.

PARVINDER SINGH KITTNA, Kittna (Hoshiarpur)

Old is gold?

RSS chief K.S. Sudarshan’s statement calling upon Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Mr L.K. Advani to retire from politics due to old age has kicked up a controversy. Elders ruled the roost in many countries. Was it because old is gold? Or is it that running a country is not child’s play?

Chernenko was the President of the erstwhile USSR at 72. Ronald Reagan was also a septuagenarian. The late Sri Lankan President Jayewardene was 77 while President Bourgiba of Tunisia was 80. Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeni was 81. We have our own examples. Indira Gandhi, at 70, was in the thick of power. Morarji Desai became the Prime Minister at 81. Charan Singh was also a septuagenarian.

D.V. JOSHI, Bartana (Zirakpur)

Expand highway

The road running from Shahbad Markanda to Shahzadpur is narrow, making it prone to accidents, unnoticed by the authorities. Road accidents have been increasing day by day. The authorities concerned should expand the State Highway and create more open space around the road.

B.S. SEN, Karasan (Ambala)

Retirement age

I do not agree with the suggestion for raising the retirement age from 58 to 60 years of the Punjab government employees. Instead, it should be reduced from 58 to 55 years if the state government is keen on checking the unemployment problem.

SHAMLAL CHAWLA, Kotkapura

Full of potholes

The road from Taran Tarn to Jandialo Highway is full of big potholes. It takes more than an hour to cover the 20-km stretch. To avoid accidents, it must be repaired and tarred soon. Because of the bad condition of the road, it is becoming very difficult for us to reach anywhere in time.

AMIT VERMA, Taran Tarn