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

RTE cannot be restricted to select few

Harish Dhillon’s article, “Not for select few” (April 20) was apt. Rather than wasting our energies in opposing the Right to Education Act, we should make a virtue of necessity and start working on how we will cope with the changes that are going to come with its implementation.

There is no gainsaying the fact that with the introduction of the Right to Education Act, the number of school-going children is bound to increase manifold and the present capacity is totally inadequate to take in all the children.

Moreover, new schools cannot be established overnight. So, some sort of selection process is inevitable. However, testing new entrants or their parents would create psychological problems for the children who may be denied admissions.

The writer has candidly accepted the unavoidable impact of the recommendations by powerful politicians, bureaucrats and board members, etc in the admission process. Thus, the best method to admit children would be through a public draw. It certainly eliminates the chances of unfairness and the trauma of failure. Educational institutions must be instructed by the authorities concerned to adopt this method of admission.

 LAJPAT RAI GARG, Panchkula

IPL connection

One cannot but agree with the succinct observation in the editorial “Crossed wires over IPL” (April 23) that it “has caused perceptible fissures in the relationship between the Congress and the NCP.”

The IPL drama unfolding by the minute in full public glare may have triggered the latest rift between the two consenting partners in this marriage of convenience, but the alliance between them has never been comfortable ever since its formation.

The divorce, however, is not likely to happen any time soon for the simple reason that the survival of UPA-2 is at stake. The Congress cannot afford to jettison the NCP just yet — IPL gate or no IPL gate! Power, after all, is a great and dependable adhesive.

DR M K BAJAJ, Zirakpur

II

The IPL controversy has posed a new challenge to the UPA government amidst challenges of Maoists and price rise. Laxity in the auditing of IPL finances has led to the messy situation.

While one expects an early solution to the IPL mess, it may take some time due to financial irregularities of hefty sums involved which could lead to possible court cases.

Selling of Kochi and Pune franchises raised many eyebrows which reflected unsolicited corporate greed. As the details are emerging, the IPL affair seems to be a cocktail of corrupt practices. While Lalit Modi remains in deep trouble, all responsible for malpractices should be de-linked irrespective of their position within the IPL or outside.

Its future editions should not be exploited to fill up the coffers of rich and powerful in the business and politics for the sake of entertainment.

Dr SANJIV GUPTA, Perth, Australia

Defiant khaps The Constitution guarantees several fundamental rights to our citizens. These rights also include the right to life and liberty. The government and its different organs are duty bound to create conditions in which citizens can enjoy these rights (editorial, “Defiant as ever”, April 15). The way Manoj and Babli were murdered in Haryana clearly exhibited that the Haryana government failed to create conditions in which Manoj and Babli could enjoy their right to liberty and live peacefully. The judiciary’s judgment to punish the murderers has restored the faith of the people. But the recent utterances by some of the khap leaders at Kurukshetra have disturbed right-thinking members of the civil society in Haryana. Its recent demand for an amendment in the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 so as to prohibit the solemnisation of marriages within the same gotra as well as between inhabitants of the same village is not only ridiculous but against the constitutional and liberal values of the modern age. It is a clear violation of the fundamental rights. The demand is against the spirit of the preamble of the Constitution that declares liberty, equality, fraternity and justice as our national ideals. The demand goes against the principles of the liberal education being imparted to our young boys and girls in schools and colleges. The strange situation is creating conflicts in the minds of the young ones. The need of the hour is that the Haryana government must realise the seriousness of the problem and guarantee to create conditions in which young couples are able to enjoy liberty and live with peace. JAGDISH MITTER GANDHI, Gurgaon