II

Mr Dua’s editorial on Barack Obama’s landslide victory for the US presidency sincerely reflects the feelings of millions of progressive and peace-loving people of the world.

Obama’s victory means a healthy change in the Americans’ mindset that to tide over the economic crisis, an “inclusive” approach is more important than racial and regional ones. The electorate has rejected the traditional and conservative approaches to deal with national and international problems. Those who waste human and material capital in wars and arms race are the enemies of humanity.

Obama will hopefully do everything to strengthen the forces of peace, progress and democracy across the world. By shedding off its image as a bullying super power, the US should now promote dialogue and debate while solving international problems.

SUDESH KUMAR SHARMA, Kapurthala

III

Mr Dua has made a candid analysis of the factors leading to Obama’s landslide victory. His win proves that the American society has consigned the age-old prejudice against the Blacks to the dustbin.

Obama’s win is the negation of President Bush’s arrogant handling of the Iraq episode and the wrong policies that are pushing the US into economic recession. It is heartening to learn that Obama has proclaimed to follow Abrahim Lincoln’s famous words: “Govt of the people, by the people and for the people” in the days to come.

Mr Dua has forewarned the US President-elect “to work out his priorities” in a manner that the poll promises may not turn out to be liabilities afterwards. He will have to take into his stride the re-emergence of Europe and Russia as also the emerging power centres in Asia.

LAJPAT RAI GARG, Chandigarh

The best option

I wish to add to Bhartendu Sood’s letter “Poor quality of milk” (Oct 18). Milk plants supply milk through ill-equipped vendors where the sachets are seen lying in the open, resulting in the milk losing its freshness. To overcome this problem, the milk plants add some preservatives but these are  injurious to health.

Fresh milk from the dairies would appear to be a better option but it is generally found to be adulterated. Even spurious milk made from urea and other harmful chemicals is sold in the name of fresh milk.

Packaged milk, therefore, is still the best bet. New Delhi’s Mother Diary supplies chilled milk through its own refrigerated booths directly to the consumers without involving the vendors. Why can’t our milk plants adopt this system here?

Wg-Cdr C. L. SEHGAL (retd), Jalandhar

Review policy on teachers The Punjab government’s policy on the appointment of school-level post-graduate lecturers (PGTs) should be reviewed. In Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, Masters degree is required for the said post. But in Punjab, B.Ed is compulsory. How come a post-graduate is not qualified enough to teach without the B.Ed degree? M.Phil and Ph.D degree holders are ineligible for the PGT post in government schools. The government should recruit them as they are well qualified for these schools and make best use of their talent and capabilities. Further, though the upper age limit for schoolteachers in Himachal Pradesh is 40 and 42 years in Haryana respectively, it is 35 in Punjab. Raising the upper age limit in Punjab will be in order. KAILASH SINGH, Chakki Parao (Hariyal)

Ban on smoking

The lack of a mechanism for the implementation of the “smoking ban” is a mockery of the law. At least I can speak from what we see around in Himachal Pradesh. A photograph in The Tribune of a visitor to a library in Shimla with a cigarette in hand speaks it loud and clear. We see people smoking in public places without any respect for the law. Non-implementation of the law is more harmful to society than no law.

The former gives a message of apathy to the rule of law and a sense of inferiority complex to the law abiding citizens. I hope the Himachal government will strictly enforce the ban.

MADAN MOHAN, Palampur (HP)

In memoriam

Music lovers have lost one more Punjab-born popular filmmaker after Mahendera Kapoor, Baldev Raj Chopra. It is realy an irreparable loss to Punjabis in general and the film industry in particular. Some of his best old Hindi films are Dhool ka phool, Waqt. Hamraaz, Naya Daur, Gumrah and the recent Baghban which leave a very good message for society with melodious songs. Such a personality is rarely born.

On the small screen, he is equally remembered with Ramanand Sagar’s historic Mahabharat serial. His social, religious, patriotic and romantic creations are worth watching by Indian families. I pay my heartfelt tributes to such a rare soul.