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Bhagat Singh’s ideals: Let leaders set an example

I was really surprised how Mr Manpreet Singh Badal, Finance Minister of Punjab, who is an honest person but represents imperialist forces, which misuse caste and religion under the garb of democracy, is calling upon the people to make a pledge to fight the forces keeping India poor and backward (article, “The phenomenon of Bhagat Singh”, Sept 28). Mr Manpreet Badal is himself a part of the system responsible for bad governance.

Glorifying, propagating and spreading the ideals and thoughts of Bhagat Singh who emerged as a symbol of the most radical nationalist movement against imperialism and colonialism should be our national priority and will definitely enthuse the nation, especially our youth.

But if all nationalist Indians propagate and spread the revolutionary ideas of freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh, the very first victims of the revolutionary movement will be neo-colonial political class and bureaucrats, the custodians of colonial legacy.

Tributes from a politician, who is an integral part of the neo-colonial political class, exposes the hypocrisy to play with people’s sentiments.

Dr VITULL K GUPTA, Bathinda

II

The present generation must follow in Bhagat Singh’s footsteps. However, the government is only paying lip service by organising politico-religious functions. Moreover, his lament that the youth of Punjab are not joining the armed forces is not justifiable. He must remember that the leaders of Punjab are themselves responsible for this state of affairs.

Leaders like him will have to set an example before exhorting others to choose a career full of risks and challenges that the armed forces have to offer with the added disadvantage of low pay and status.

Col MAHESH CHADHA, via e-mail

Tackle corruption

The remedy prescribed by R L Mahajan in his letter “Cancer of corruption”(Sept 21) is apt. Indeed, there is need to instil the value of honesty among the youth making it an integral part of their character. Corruption is virtually non-existent in those countries where people are honest by nature and not because of fear of law.

However, this is a long-term solution and some measures should be taken to check the spread of the menace of corruption. The government should initiate action immediately. The law should be amended to ensure the award of quick and exemplary punishment to the guilty. Secondly, a sustained publicity campaign condemning corruption should be launched.

SUMEET GUPTA, New Delhi

No quota

A stage has reached when we must say goodbye to the reservation policy, especially if India has to be kept united. Reservations for employment or opportunities were adopted in the Constitution to uplift the depressed classes and downtrodden sections of society. But, this obsession with reservations has strongly divided the entire society in the name of caste, region, etc.

Reservation does not mean to make a person so privileged that he gets everything on a platter without making any effort. It is a vote-garnering device adopted by the so-called leaders to meet their selfish interests.

DAYA NAND, Charkhi Dadri

Scientific storage needed The problem of surplus foodgrains and poor storage has been meticulously explained in the article “The grain drain” by Nirmal Sandhu (Sept 13). The advocates of free distribution forget that foodgrains have to be first procured and stored in godowns in food surplus states before these are moved to food deficit areas. The problem of scientific storage needs to be redressed. Why was the problem of adequate storage neglected over such a long period even when we had earlier suffered huge losses due to a glut of grains and shortage of adequate space? Why is the government not exporting or allowing the export of a certain quantity of foodgrains when it has sufficient surplus stocks, far more than the minimum requirement of food security? Perhaps, the answer lies in the lackadaisical and corrupt attitude of the persons at the helm of affairs. Perhaps, a fair quantity of good quality foodgrains is siphoned off illegally in the name of rotten ones. GURDEV SINGH SIDHU, Mohali

Medical exposé

The medical education scandal that The Tribune has boldly exposed makes one shudder while imagining the kind of medical care we get these days. If such a malpractice is prevalent in a prestigious institutions like the PGI, Chandigarh, what would be happening in private medical colleges that abound these days and are opened with the sole purpose of making money?

BALVINDER, Chandigarh