L E T T E R S    T O    T H E    E D I T O R

Buta’s son: law must take its course

In the editorial “The stink of corruption” (Aug 3), it has been rightly stressed that the arrest of Sarabjot Singh, son of the Chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, Mr Buta Singh, and three others in a bribery case is an extremely serious matter. This is not just because he is the son of a VVIP but also because the bribe was taken allegedly for settling a case pending with the NCSC itself. On behalf of his father, Mr Sarabjot Singh has allegedly negotiated a bribe and assured the accused of exoneration.

As expected, Mr Buta Singh has claimed that the arrest is nothing but a plot to malign him and his steadfast refusal to resign from his constitutional post exposes his undying lust for power. He has compromised the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, a constitutional body that is mandated to guarantee the rights and privileges of India’s poorest and traditionally most disadvantaged communities.

Given the enormity of the incident and the disgust it has caused, it would be fit to not just remove Mr Buta Singh but also re-examine the process by which national commissions receive and handle complaints.

The entire procedure has to be made foolproof and may now require evidence that can stand scrutiny in the highest court. The government must act immediately and begin the legal process of sacking Mr Buta Singh who has proved not only a liability but also a shame for the country.

SUMAN KUKAL, Chandigarh

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor, neatly hand-written or typed in double space, should not exceed the 150-word limit. These can be sent by post to the Letters Editor, The Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh-160030. Letters can also be sent by e-mail to: Letters@tribuneindia.com
— Editor-in-Chief

Fracas in Assembly

The fracas in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly in the last few days has revealed a new low in politics. The pandemonium created by the PDP MLAs had not only disrupted the proceedings of the Assembly but also wasted precious time that could have been utilised in discussing more important issues of the state.

Ms Mehbooba Mufti’s actions are provocative and anti-national and do not behove a responsible Opposition leader. Such leaders try to score points by creating disorder and violence.

Dr MANPREET KAUR, Jalandhar

II

The manner in which the J&K Chief Minister, Mr Omar Abdullah, has tackled the PDP leaders is appreciable. Mr Omar Abdullah is an upright leader and needs to be complimented for showing moral courage by submitting his resignation, a rare feat in public life.

SHASHI KAUL, Patiala

Appalling conduct

The news report “Powerful’ they are — at taxpayers’ cost”(July 31) by Chitleen K Sethi was a laudable effort of The Tribune to expose the corrupt practices of the high and mighty.

How can we, the common people, expect transparent, accountable and just governance from such bureaucrats? Aided by the political class they cheat their way to finance their luxurious lifestyle at the exchequer’s expense.

Dr VITULL K GUPTA, Bathinda

Mind your English The article “TV channels are getting away with bad pronunciation” (Aug 4) by S Nihal Singh has aptly underlined the flawed English-language that the anchors on TV channels are not only using but also getting away with. The need of the hour is to make children learn good English right from the primary and secondary school level. English is not a language that can be mastered by pursuing a crash course or through training classes. The fact that the youth of today do not have a command over the English language shows that there is a critical deficiency in the teaching methods. English should be taught with special focus on phonetics and pronunciation. The TV anchors must learn to speak good English without forgetting the rules of grammar. Dr KAMALJEET KAUR SEKHON, Patiala

Absentee ministers

Many ministers (editorial, “Ministers as truants”, August 1) and officers of Punjab do not adopt punctuality and discipline that are essential components of good governance. The advanced countries have instilled discipline among their people and public servants.

Arriving late in office is reason enough to lose one’s job in Singapore. China is known to have enforced laws to ensure discipline and Malaysia conducts a regular audit to see how fast government offices serve the people. In Punjab, government officers behave like pensioners.

They as well as our political leaders need to be taught the virtues of discipline.

SAHIL GARG, Chandigarh