M A I L B A G

Ignore Left, go ahead with N-deal

Whenever a step is taken forward by the government towards the conclusion of a civil nuclear deal with the US, there is a protest by the Left parties along with a threat to pull down the government. The nuclear deal is undoubtedly in the interest of the country and the interest of the country cannot be sacrificed at any cost.

There is an acute shortage of power. Industry is suffering due to the inadequate supply of electricity. The nuclear deal should be followed up expeditiously so that the country can have power security.

The UPA government should not panic. It may conduct a referendum to tell the Left that almost the entire nation wants to see the deal through.

The UPA should not mind going in for early polls over the issue and get a mandate from the nation to go ahead with the nuclear deal with the US.

G.R. KALRA, Chandigarh

PCS posts

In Punjab and Haryana the PCS (executive branch) and the HCS (executive branch) are the premier civil services dealing with the state administration. These are popularly referred to as PCS and HCS only.

In Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan the state administrative services are designated as HPAS and RAS, respectively. It will be in the fitness of things to remove the words “executive branch” affixed to the terms “PCS” and “HCS” in Punjab and Haryana.

The premier judicial service in Punjab and Haryana can be redesignated as the Punjab Judicial Service (PJS) and the Haryana Judicial Service (HJS). With these changes, the designations will look better and convey the status and meaning of the judicial services more appropriately.

If the proposed modification is brought about, the new designations would be simply as PCS, HCS and PJS, HJS, respectively, in Punjab and Haryana.

S.S. THIND, Patiala

Punjabi in neglect

I was shocked to read a news item in The Tribune (March 2) that according to a UNESCO report the Punjabi language will disappear from the world in the next 50 years. We, Punjabis, are ourselves responsible up to a great extent for the sorry state of affairs.

We consider ourselves modern only if we speak in English and Hindi. It is sheer foolishness. Rather, we feel proud in conversing in these languages with our children, family members and other people in our day-to-day life.

This is a great betrayal and disrespect to one’s mother tongue. We can learn a lot from other states, especially south Indian states, where people have kept their culture and tradition alive in spite of being modern.

Although Punjabi was declared the state language more than four decades ago, it has not been given its rightful place by the government of Punjab. Haryana and Himachal have denied the second language status to Punjabi in spite of the fact that it is the second most widely spoken language in these states.

About 80 per cent of the population of Chandigarh is of Punjabi origin. Still it has been ignored in the UT. All Government of India departments, banks hospitals, the PGI, the railway station, the BBMB, the CSIO and the NIPER located in Chandigarh are discouraging the use of Punjabi.

Er B.S. KABERWAL, Chandigarh

Mayawati’s remark

UP Chief Minister Mayawati’s comment at the BSP rally in Karnal that the next Haryana Chief Minister will be a non-Jat smacks of casteism. A Chief Minister should have a more decent public behaviour.

Ms. Mayawati should learn to behave in a dignified way

and try not to create caste dissensions in an already volatile society. As she has set her eyes on the Prime Minister’s seat, she should learn to govern Indians, not just the non-Jats.

PURAN SINGH, Haryana Institute of Rural Development, Nilokheri 

Disposal of waste

The pollution control authorities have thoughtfully decided that domestic waste should be segregated as biodegradable and non-biodegradable at the very source so that it is properly disposed of. I think instructions have been issued to this effect to all local bodies.

It is amusing to see big waste bins at various places in towns and cities with the words “Biodegradable” and “Non-biodegradable” written on them. Neither the people who throw the waste in these bins, if at all they make use of them, nor the staff who take the waste to the disposal site know the meaning and purpose of these words.

Sure enough, the labour employed for the final disposal of the two types of waste may also not know about the importance and purpose of categorising waste into two types. Is not it an instance of compliance of instructions on paper only?

SUKRITI, student, St. Theresa’s Convent School, Karnal