M A I L B A G

Mamata must know how to behave

It will be a sad day if the people, the press and the politicians do not take serious note of Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee’s deplorable behaviour in Parliament. Throwing papers at the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha may well be her sport, but it is time she was told to behave. We should introduce the system of recall for our lawmakers on the American pattern when parliamentarians cross the line of decency and decorum in Parliament.

As a seasoned  politician and a former Union Minister, she should be aware that she is meant to set a personal example of propriety and maturity for her colleagues to follow. If she knew about the British Parliament and how its members function, she would have thought twice before hurling papers at the chair and referring to the Speaker as a CPI (M) man.

The drama about Mamata’s resignation also needs to be seen in the proper light. If she was serious about her resignation, she should have put it in the proper format and applied to the authority concerned. In the armed forces, for instance, any willful defiance of a superior authority is taken very seriously and I see no reason why the same yardstick should not apply to our lawmakers.

Maj-Gen HIMMAT SINGH GILL (retd), Chandigarh

II

Mamata’s behaviour was shocking. I wonder how she threw papers at Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Charanjet Singh Atwal. It was really indecent, rude, and unbecoming of a member of Parliament. Her resignation should be rejected and she must be expelled from Parliament.

Our MPs do enjoy the freedom of speech, but liberty does not mean license to do whatever they like. There is the line of decency which one should not cross. I am surprised how the Deputy Speaker tolerated her conduct.

ANUREET KAUR, Dubai (UAE)

III

It was shameful on Mamata’s part to throw her papers in disgust at the Deputy Speaker. She always relates her misconduct with some larger issue to justify herself. No amount of provocation can sanction this sort of behaviour. Even ordinary person shows respect towards his/her authorities who derive their power from constitutional provisions.

The proceedings in the Lok Sabha beamed by TV channels have caught many of our elected representatives on the wrong foot on several occasions.

There should be adequate provisions under the law to deal with such members. It is no less than showing disrespect to the national flag or currency. Such a member should be disenfranchised and dismissed from Parliament.

G.K.S. SIDHU, Barnala

IV

The member’s conduct in Parliament raises the question whether we really care for our democratic, parliamentary set up. When she threw the papers at the Deputy Speaker, she perhaps forgot that she was an MP. May be, as she was not in the limelight for a long time, she wanted to gain some publicity through this act. But this is not the right way. Clearly, Mamata must offer an unconditional apology to Parliament for her deplorable conduct.

VIPAN KUMAR, Amritsar

V

The editorial “Mamata in the House: Her misconduct should be condemned”
(Aug 6) rightly condemns the member’s unparliamentary behaviour. No doubt, she was raising a very pertinent issue of illegal migration from Bangladesh, but she should have avoided flinging papers and files at the Speaker’s podium. Ms Banerjee owes an apology not only to Parliament and the Chair but also to the entire nation.

M.S. THAKUR, Chandigarh

VI

Ms Mamata Banerjee should not have thrown papers at the Chair. It is a dishonour to the institution. Moreover, as a senior member, she should have known her limits and set an example for new members to follow. Clearly, she should have tried some other way to convey her feelings to the Chair. Her recent action cannot be tolerated under any circumstances.

Prof P. K. GUPTA, Bathinda

Boost to economic growth The news-item “Express highway and four-laning projects may be combined" (July 19) comes as a whiff of fresh air. The Himachal Pradesh government should go ahead with combining its ambitious Shimla-Chandigarh Express Highway project with the scheme for the four-laning of the highway prepared by the National Highway Authority of India to cut cost and avoid duplicity. At the same time, the authorities should seriously consider converting the narrow gauge railway line into broad gauge. This is a must because this would speed up economic development of the entire region. Broad gauge will improve connectivity and solve the problems of the hilly state. In fact, Shimla should be connected directly to the coastline of the Indian subcontinent. SHER SINGH, Ludhiana

Forgotten memorial

I refer to the news item, “Memorial gets new lease of life” (July 11). Has anyone verified what this memorial commemorates? I fear it is the memorial of the English soldiers who fell fighting the Sikh Army after Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s death.

It was around 1845 that English forces fought the Sikh forces around the river Sutlej, in the Anglo-Sikh war and won kind courtesy a few treacherous characters who were later rewarded suitably by the English. If it is true, then, it is a matter of national shame to renovate and relocate such a memorial at a prominent place. The Golden Arrow division has been there in its present location for decades. It just cannot be believed that no one earlier got this bright idea.

Lt-Col BHAGWANT SINGH (retd), Mohali

Retirement age

The proposal to save retirement benefits of employees and deploy them for development works is ridiculous (Letters, July 16). Unemployment has been on the rise on Punjab and there is a ban on recruitment. The proposal to continue the deadwood would adversely affect the youth.

Most employees above 50 years come to office just to pass time as their children are settled by then and have nothing else to do. Instead of raising the retirement age, we should adopt the Tamil Nadu Model and reduce the retirement age to 55 years.

Let us not play with the future of our youth who deserve better employment in public services. Any decision to the contrary may cause socio-economic unrest in society.

MOHINDER GUPTA, Chandigarh