II

The editorial has rightly underscored the gusto with which this rare triumph was celebrated by the nation. It was a rare event, which galvanised the entire nation. The magnitude of jubilation may remind the nation of similar celebrations after India trounced the world in hockey which now is waiting in the wings to get back its lost place of pride.

Indian hockey suffered due to internecine skirmishes among the top administrators of the game and those who suffered in the process have been the budding players.

It is the responsibility of the government to clean the stables of the sports federations by removing the caucus currently ruling them like their fiefdoms to the detriment of the country.

Self-styled sports lords should be shown the door sooner than later to make all sports federations vibrant and transparent. After winning the World Cup in cricket, the country should look forward to retrieving its supremacy in hockey to start with. All the sports lovers, including the media should strive relentlessly to catapult hockey to the hilt so that its lost glory is restored.   

R.M.RAMAUL, Paonta Sahib

Cricket or war?

The middle “Not a matter of life and death” by Vandana Shukla (Apr 5) echoes my sentiments. The game of cricket has become a proxy war between two neighbouring countries. There is no cricket diplomacy, only media warfare. Sportsmanship seems to be disappearing from the game of cricket. The game of cricket is getting inappropriate coverage, attention and hype at the cost of other games being played in India.

The writer rightly says that playing a game is as important a job as taking care of the sick or filing a news report.

PRABHJOT KAUR, Jalandhar

Black money

To the news report “Govt. earns SC ire over black money probe” (Mar 29) I would like to add that certainly, the entire credit for the Supreme Court’s remarks goes to Ram Jethmalani, who has filed a PIL on the issue of black money in foreign banks. It is shameful, that the UPA government headed by Manmohan Singh, who claims to be above corruption, has done precious little to unearth black money stashed in foreign banks.

ANAND PRAKASH,Panchkula

Freedom fighter

I was pained to read about the plight of Harbans Singh, who was an ardent associate of martyrs Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev (news report, “Martyr’s associate facing penury”, Mar 24). Even after six decades of Independence his contribution to the freedom struggle has not been recognised. While corrupt politicians are wallowing in ill-gotten wealth, the centenarian freedom fighter is living in penury.

A Punjab Cabinet Minister once promised to give him Rs one lakh. Alas, it remained only a promise.

An Urdu poet has rightly said: Na-aihl hai voh aihl-e-siyasat kee nazar mein/ ke vada kar key jis ko mukarn a nahin aata (He is incompetent in the eyes of politicians, who does not have knack of breaking his promises). Will the government give monetary help to Harbans Singh now at least?

BHAGWAN SINGH, Qadian

Need for education

The editorial “Education as business” (Apr 5) forcefully and rightly stressed that “Primarily, education is service to society” and underlined the government’s failure to pay required attention to education leading to ever increasing disparity in the country. In 2005, the second global People’s Health Assembly emphasised that governments have a fundamental responsibility to ensure universal access to quality education, health care and other social services according to people’s needs, not according to their ability to pay.

But the government is withdrawing from education under the influence of market economy and increasing commercialisation of education. Today the motto seems to be “education for only those who can pay” and the sole aim of education sector is to increase profits.

Unless there is a radical change in the education policy supported by adequate budgetary allocation the demands and needs of large majority of deprived and neglected population will not be met.

Dr. VITULL K. GUPTA, Bathinda

Wrong king

In the middle “Remembering Cairo” (Apr 6) Trilochan Singh Trewn has erroneously mentioned that retired Egyptian army officer Ashraf Sadiq had personally seen the departure of King Faud of Egypt. King Faud never ruled over Egypt. In the relevant period it was King Farooq who ruled over Egypt.

Dr KARAN J KUMAR, Panchkula