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

Diluting RTI, Haryana style

The Haryana State Information Commission, though supposed to be the watchdog of peoples’ right to know, is acting more like the government’s handmaiden. Now and then, the Commission does hand out light punishment to petty officials of insignificant departments and publicises it with much fanfare. However, important departments like the Town and Country Planning Department, care two hoots about the law as they are dealt with perfunctorily by the Commission.

Further, to dilute the law, the Commission forces the complainants to go in for first appeals and also requires the appellants to attend the hearings in appeals, which is patently against the rules framed by the Government of India in the matter.

Where a complaint lies under the law, the complainant must not be forced to first go in for an appeal, and appellants’ attendance at hearings must be optional.

M.R. SHARMA, Panipat

Casual treatment

There are numerous instances of doctors treating the patients carelessly and showing negligence (“Doctor heal thyself”, Spectrum, Oct 4). They seem to be more inclined to make monetary gain than to serve the ailing humanity. Many precious lives are lost for want of proper treatment.

The news of Ajay Pal Singh that had been published in Ludhiana Tribune (Oct 12) was heart rending as his death was caused due to the negligence of a hospital in Ludhiana.

These days doctors in government and private hospitals get attractive perks and salaries but still there are some who don’t hesitate to extract money from patients.

The writer has rightly said that a medical representative is more important to a doctor than a patient. To make matters worse, there is no accountability for medical lapses. I had lodged a complaint against a Ludhiana hospital with the Punjab Medical Council, Chandigarh, in July 2008, but it is yet to be decided. In this kind of atmosphere the public is losing faith in the medical profession. Quacks are flourishing as they charge less than the doctors. We need to bring sanctity back to this noble profession.

SHER SINGH, Ludhiana

Jarring music

We indulge in too much revelry and fanfare during all gala occasions which should actually he marked with sobriety and solemnity. There is maximum din during jagratas.

The music is extremely loud and jarring. The singing troupe hired for the purpose sings bhajans based on film-tunes. As a result, instead of concentrating on the deity, the devotees are reminded of the film and the scene from which the tune has been borrowed. I cannot forget a jagrata in my neighbourhood when my wife was terminally ill with cancer and could sleep only after heavy sedation due to pain.

My fervent requests to tone down or turn the direction of the amplifiers fell on deaf ears as the music blared incessantly. The ban on the use of amplifiers at night is blatantly flouted.

D.K. AGGARWALA, Hoshiarpur

Manna Dey: The melody king
It is heartening that the nation’s highest honour in the form of Dada Shib Phalke Award has been bestowed upon the grand old man of music (“Manna of music”, Spectrum, Oct 25). Manna Dey has sung every song with perfection and though he sang all types of songs, the semi classical was his forte.
Beside the love songs mentioned in the piece, he also mesmerised listeners with Jahan mein jaati hoon from Chori-Chori and Mere dil mein hai baat in Postbox 999.
He also put his soul in the bhajans that he sung like, Tu pyaar ka sagar hai in Seema and achieved fame with Kaun aaya mere dil ke dawaare in Dekh Kabira Roya. And who can forget, Arre hato jao from Manzil, Laaga chunari mein daag from Dil Hi To Hai and the one Phul gaindwa naa maaro from Dooj Kaa Chand.
In all these he brought into play his knowledge of classical music. Dil kaa haal sune dilwala from Shree 420 and Dukh bhare din beete re bhaiya from Mother India and Yeh ladai hai diye ki aur toofan ki from Toofan Aur Diya and the haunting melody, Tu chhupi hia kahan from Navrang are some of the memorable hits of Manna Dey. Finally, he competed with Mohammad Rafi in the evergreen qawaali Na to karvan ki talaash hai in the film Barsaat ki Raat.
H.S. SANDHU, Panchkula
II
Though well-deserved, the Dada Saheb Phalke award has come little late for Manna Dey. But still it is better late than never. ‘M’ is for music, but it is also for ‘Manna Dey’, Mohammed Rafi, Mukesh and Mahendra Kapoor the legendary playback singers. Manna Dey is a living legend of the film industry.
It is lesser known that the trio of Manna Dey, Shankar Jaikishan (music director) and Shailendra (lyricist) rendered the evergreen songs like, “Sur na saje” (Basant Bahar, 1956) and “Chalat musafir moh liyo re” (Teesri Kasam, 1966). But above all is “Tujhe suraj kahoon ya chanda” (Ek Phool Do Maali).
To praise Manna Dey is like showing a lamp to the sun. But a compliment from Mohd Rafi that, “You listen to my songs, I listen to Manna Dey songs” says it all.
HARBANS SINGH, Ambala Cantonment