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Have a heart for our heroes

Randeep Wadehra has given glimpses of forgotten heroes in his review (Spectrum, June 8). The subject itself is enough to shake the spines of those who respect these guardians of our country. But our political class with its thick-skinned culture is never prepared to give them their due.

The case of POWs during the 1965 and 1971 wars who are still languishing in Pakistan jails should put every Indian’s head down in shame but our political leadership is not moved by such painful plight of our gallant soldiers who sacrificed everything for the sake of their country. While Indian prisoners were kept in Pakistani jails in inhuman conditions, our politicians preferred to take pride in releasing nearly one lakh Pakistani POWs instead of taking up the case of their own soldiers. Those born before 1960 would remember how nicely the Pakistani POWs were treated and fed in the camps with the food of their choice.

As rightly stated, a soldier needs to be assured that his family would be looked after well in his absence; that the government would come to his rescue if he became a POW. Shockingly, the womenfolk of POWs had to do menial jobs to get two square meals a day. These corrupt and coward politicians should be tried for treason for failing to find a solution for the release of our POWs. The soldier’s interest is sacrificed time and again at the altar of diplomacy. No wonder, not a single politician has ever sent his son or daughter to the armed forces.

MULTAN SINGH PARIHAR, Jalari (Hamirpur)

The bitter truth

In “Jobless Job” (Spectrum, June 15), Jaspal Bhatti, has, in his typical style, beautifully brought out the bitter truth of life — no one is satisfied irrespective of one’s status, rank, position, stature, power and place in society. The fact is further buttressed by the proverb ‘uneasy lies the head that wears the crown’.

In the present-day world of materialism, consumerism, money power and muscle power, satisfaction is a word that has been deleted from the dictionary of people. The race is for acquiring more and more is on in every sphere. There is no limit to human avarice and this is the cause of dissatisfaction, tension, stress, strain and ruin of many precious lives.
Only those who have no responsibility, like a minister without any portfolio, can be satisfied in today’s world. However, by practising the following “mottos”, satisfaction can be attained in any walk of life:

Kindness at home; courtesy in society; resistance to evil; helping the have-nots; standing by the unfortunate; forgiving the penitent; fairness in work and dealings; honesty in business; and reverence and love for God.

If these nine mottos are adhered to earnestly, it is possible to lead a satisfied and contented life.

TARSEM S. BUMRAH, Batala

Delight of reading

In his article “Sailing with Amitav Ghosh” (Sunday Oped, June 29), Harihar Swarup has written about the chances of making a film on Amitav Ghosh’s latest novel Sea of Poppies. But this doesn’t seem to be a good idea, as it will spoil the real taste of the novel. The ideas, feelings, emotions and thoughts of the writer get digested better if the first hand knowledge of the novel is passed on to the reader.

Moreover, the style and language incorporated in the work also gets observed and absorbed by reading of the novel. Whereas a movie based on the novel would spoil the author’s real intentions.

SANDEEP SHARMA, Solan