M A I L B A G

India surges ahead despite problems

This has reference to Antara Dev Sen’s “Birth of Hope” (Spectrum, Jan 1). There have always been two approaches—positive and negative—of looking at things and the year 2005 is no exception to these.

No doubt, the year gone by has been a period of coping with tsunami, earthquakes and bomb blasts; we also had our share of train accidents, floods and droughts and, as usual, corrupt politicians and officials.

Yet India proved as a society and a nation that it can find ways to surge ahead irrespective of the nature of obstructions and problems. As a fast-growing politico-economic power, we cannot digress from our course of growth, prosperity and a sense of purpose.

The year 2005 was by no means a nightmare, as many would like us to believe; it had its share of success and happiness.

VED GULIANI, Hisar

Neglect of history

This has reference to “Portrait of Neglect” by Aditi Tandon (Saturday Extra, Nov 19). The government’s apathy towards our national heroes and history is a matter of shame. The writer has put in commendable efforts to expose the sorry state of the National Gallery of Portraits.

Dalip Kumar, former DPI, Colleges, has made a disgusting statement that one can’t keep harping on Independence. There is nothing to be proud of in neglecting history and being rootless.

I feel that politicians and bureaucrats neglect history because if they glorify the sacrifices made by our freedom fighters and project them as role models, then the public will expect and demand the same level of dedication, selfless service, honesty and discipline from them.

Dr VITULL K. GUPTA, Bathinda

Ayat-ul-Kursi

This has reference to “Power Mantras” by Khushwant Singh (Saturday Extra, Nov 12). The writer has made a mention of Ayat-ul-Kursi. I don’t know whether the English translation of the verse is his own or a borrowed one. But it was not impressive at some points. Moreover, it also missed a couple of clauses.

The complete translation of Ayat-ul-Kursi goes like this: Allah — there is no God but He, the Living, the Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining. Slumber seizes Him not, nor sleep. To Him belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth.

Who is he that will intercede with Him except by his permission? He knows what is before them and what is behind them; and they encompass nothing of His knowledge except what He pleases.

His knowledge extends over the heavens and the earth; and the care of them burdens Him not; and He is the High, the Great.

This English translation has been done by Hazrat Sher Ali Sahib and published by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamat.

The Holy Prophet is reported to have said that the Ayat-ul-Kursi was the loftiest verse in the Koran.

BILAL AHMED SHAMIM, Qadian

Unjust criticism

Khushwant Singh in “Uma erupts again” (Saturday Extra, December 17) uses invectives against female politicians. This lacks finesse.

His view that Uma’s love and concern for cow is ostentatious and has an ulterior motive, is not convincing. As the Chief Minister of MP, she had prevailed upon dairymen to stop the use of banned oxytocin injections for raising the yield of cow milk.

His labelling her a sanyasin full of worldly ambitions does not do credit to a writer of his calibre.

SOSHIL RATTAN, Amritsar

Facts or errors

“Was Bhagat Singh shot dead?” (Spectrum, December 11) revealed some startling facts about the execution of the martyrs Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev on March 23, 1931. One wonders why these facts, as given by the writer, as claimed in Some hidden facts: Martyrdom of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, mentioning the top secret operation Trojan Horse couldn’t come to light during the last 75 years.

The executions were carried out in Central Jail Lahore—besides being the capital of Punjab, was a political hub and an important education centre.

The struggle for freedom was at its zenith and every person felt part of that great movement of the century. So the shooting of martyrs by the relatives of Saunders in the cantonment area could hardly be kept a secret.

The article also contained other factual errors. The writer says that the bodies of the martyrs were taken to an isolated place (6 miles away from Lahore on the right bank of Beas where it meets Sutlej). In fact, the Beas meets Sutlej at Hari-Ke-Pattan—far away from Lahore.

KARNAIL SINGH, Kharar

One rank one pension This refers to “Last of the ‘Victorians’” by Lt-Gen Baljit Singh (Spectrum, Dec 18). The write-up gives ample reasons why there should be one rank one pension for the defence personnel. The Victoria Cross allowance awarded to Capt Umrao Singh with an exchange rate of Rs 2 to £ 1 must have been a handsome amount in 1946 but 50 years later the amount was ridiculously meagre. It took Prime Minister John Major little time to understand the lapse in the case of Capt Umrao Singh for which he said “Her Majesty’s Government held itself fully accountable”. The Government of India, however, has taken 30 years to find out whether there existed a case for one rank one pension or not. S. C. SHARMA, Abohar