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

Judicial backlog has to be cleared

To the editorial “Reforming judicial system: Need to clear the backlog on war-footing” (Aug 18), I would like to add that nothing positive has been done by the government to streamline the cumbersome procedure of the selection of judges of high courts and the Supreme Court. Feeble attempts have been made to fill vacant posts and to increase the strength of the judges in districts and high courts.

The inbuilt mechanism to deal with the erring judges, too, has failed. Something has to be done to curb the alleged corruption in the judiciary. Things will not improve by making statements alone. The government has to take hard decisions to deliver justice to the public within a reasonable time frame.

Maj NARINDER SINGH JALLO (retd), SAS Nagar

Dr KULDIP SINGH, Hoshiarpur

IV

In the lower courts, delay is sometimes unavoidable as time is taken in producing witnesses, compiling records and collection of evidence, etc. But no reason is acceptable for delay in high courts.

The backlog can be drastically reduced if adjournments are disallowed. “Tenure judges,” too, can be appointed to clear pending cases.

R K AGGARWAL, Panchkula

Distorting facts

The editorial “Exit Jaswant Singh”(Aug 20) was analytical. Jaswant Singh’s expulsion from the party was expected. His claim that Muslims are treated like aliens in India is baseless. After the BJPs’ defeat in the recent elections, chinks have appeared in the party leadership and the Chintan Baithak turned into chinta baithak.

HARBANS SINGH, Ambala Cantt

II

Jaswant Singh has issued a character certificate to Mohammad Ali Jinnah and blamed Pandit Nehru for the creation of Pakistan. Earlier, L K Advani had described Jinnah as secular. Both leaders have tried to distort history for petty gains. Even an average Indian knows that it were the British who incited Jinnah to put forth the demand for a separate nation for Muslims. Gandhi and Nehru had tried their utmost to bring round Jinnah to forego the demand for partition. The statesmanship and the patriotism of Nehru can never be challenged.

R K SATYAWAN, Pathankot

Undernourished kids

It is really shocking (news report, “Punjab, Haryana kids anaemic, undernourished” by Chitleen K Sethi, Aug 21) that in Punjab and Haryana child malnutrition has been reported to be very severe. This is despite the fact that these two states meet the foodgrain needs of the country in a major way. Food deprivation is the result of distribution inequalities and not food shortage.

In India, the state governments indulge in vote-bank politics and their priorities are lopsided. Corrective measures are the need of the hour. State governments with political will and vision alone can wipe out the blot of malnutrition.

Dr I M JOSHI, Chandigarh

Singer Mush

The news report “Singer Mush amuses all” (Aug 13) has not only amused Pakistanis but also Indians like me. That a ruler like Gen Pervez Musharraf (retd) who had deftly combined political and military leadership could also be a connoisseur of music is certainly news. Alas, his crooning prowess and Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s poetic exploits could not end hostilities between the two neighbouring nations.

NEERAJ KISHORE SHARMA,

Sundernagar

Why byelection?

In India it is a convention to hold by-election if an MLA or an MP dies. It places a big burden on the state exchequer. The money could otherwise be spent on development schemes. In many countries the concept of by-election is unknown and in case of such an eventuality, a person who has got the second largest number of votes in the previous election takes his or her place. Our country can hardly afford wasteful expenditure involved in by- elections.

OM DUTT SHARMA, Chandigarh

Plight of depositors  Of late, we have been hearing cases where conmen have duped unsuspecting people and defrauded them of their hard-earned money. One may blame the public, too, for their greed. However, to some extent even the government policies are responsible for such frauds. A large number of people depend upon the interest on fixed deposits for their livelihood and any reduction in interest rates adversely affects their income. While borrowers can pressurise the government to reduce the interest rates on loans, no one cares about the unenviable plight of depositors, especially senior citizens. Is it any wonder that some people are tempted to deposit their money with unreliable sources that promise more lucrative returns on deposits? H R MANUJA, Karnal