M A I L B A G

Alarming position of  sex ratio

This refers to the report “Recovering the girl child” (The Tribune, May 29).

Chandigarh has a female-male ratio of 773:1000, as per the last census, which is less than that for Nawanshahr. The Census Department of Union Territory has warned that if there is no improvement in the sex ratio, about 60 per cent males may remain unmarried.

The Supreme Court had directed the Centre and state governments to enforce a ban on prenatal sex-determination tests and asked them to implement the provisions of the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act, banning such tests. The illegal practice of female foeticide has resulted in an alarming imbalance in sex ratio across the country.

There are some social reasons for people aspiring for a son in Punjab. They are not interested in having girls due to the dowry problme. They also consider that the land is divided into parts.

The PNDT Act should be implemented properly. Religious and social organisations should raise their voice against female foeticide. Married women should not allow themselves to be taken to hospitals for such a crime. If any doctor indulges in such activities and is arrested, his licence should be cancelled. The health authorities in Chandigarh should improve the awareness level of the people in this regard. Law should also be strict.

M.L. Garg, Chandigarh

No interviews for kids

This is in response to your editorial “No interviews — High Court helps out Delhi kids” (May 16).

Who can argue over the fact that each and every child is precious and represents our tomorrow? It is, therefore, our responsibility to make sure that each one of them is well taken care of in all respects, especially his/her education. In other words, we must leave no child behind for any reason.

Rejecting a child for his/her basic education amounts to leaving a child behind and I find it not only cruel but also very degrading and detrimental to his/her overall growth as a well-groomed human being. Definitely, the idea behind this practice is to exploit the shortage of schools to exhort money from the parents and deserves condemnation by one and all. Frankly, it is a disgrace to a nation to allow this anti-children and anti-nation practice to go on.

Subhash C. chaudhry, Sharjah (UAE)

Voters do it

Voters beating up an RJD leader for trying to rig the poll during the panchayat poll at Siwan was a very interesting news. The time was long overdue when goonda political leaders were to be taught a lesson. The Shahabuddins, Sadhu Yadavs, Laloos and the likes in the country must be shown the door forever by no one but the voters themselves.

If the voters can teach a lesson to the goons of the RJD in Siwan, they can do the same at other places also wherever the so-called political leaders try to intimidate the voters and loot the polling booths. Well done, the brave people of Siwan. Keep it up.

Sarabjit Singh, Kurukshetra

Quota politics

The general feeling is that the entire issue of reservations is related to votes. If that is the case, then the credibility of Dr Manmohan Singh will be the first casualty. He cannot afford this because his entire strength lies in being straightforward.

Madhu R.D. Singh, Army School, Ambala Cantt 

Lawyers in India This has reference to the news published in The Tribune which says that “Only 39 of 3,800 clear HCS(Judicial) examination.” Two things become very clear from this news. Firstly, about the standard of our advocates. Out of 3,800 advocates who appeared in the HCS examination, only 39 got just 50 per cent marks. With the same efficiency they work in the courts. They fleece their clients to the hilt, getting one adjournment after the other thus delaying the case for years because of their inefficiency. Good luck to them because nothing can be done to improve their efficiency, at least now. Generally, it has been seen that the majority of the students who do not get admission in any good educational institution or a job after their graduation choose to join law classes as a last resort and somehow manage to just pass the examination and get the degree and start wearing the black jacket of Vakil Sahib. The efficient ones join good business houses or start practising in the High Courts. Sarabjit Singh, Kurukshetra.