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

Carry out death sentence at the earliest

As we observe the third anniversary of the 26/11 carnage in Mumbai, it brings back to mind gory images of the dastardly act. The perpetrators of the crime are still at large; no headway has been made in getting them punished.

The death sentence should not take so long to carry. It is a mockery of our legal system. Imagine the mental trauma of the kith and kin of martyrs and victims of 26/11 and the Parliament attack.

Crores of rupees have been spent on Kasab and almost the same amount would have been spent on another terrorist, Afzul Guru, to sustain and maintain them.

If that money would have been given to martyrs’ families and victims of terrorist attacks, it would have served a big purpose. Are we waiting for a Kandhar-type incident to take place again?

SP SHARMA, Mumbai

Technology in villages

I agree with the thought-provoking editorial ‘Videography of Gram Sabha’ (November 24). Modern technology has provided us mobiles, webcam, online chat, videos, etc, which we should use to our advantage. Technology should not be restricted to urban areas only.

The government should introduce some programmes to educate the rural masses on useful gadgets. Not only youngsters, the elders in the village should also be educated on the benefits of computers. To narrow down the urban-rural divide, corporate houses should adopt villages and educate villagers on the usefulness of their products.

NAVDEEP KAUR BASRA, Ludhiana

Political gimmick

Trinamool Congress and DMK leaders Mamata Banerjee and MK Karunanidhi threatened to withdraw support to the UPA government on price rise. They acquiesced in and said if the government did not consult them next time, they would withdraw.

The government has approved FDI in retail despite strong resistance from both its allies. The UPA government has come to realise now that these are just political gimmicks. While the Congress has got a beating as is evident in byelections in several states, these two parties are also heading towards losing people’s confidence.

CK SARDANA, Bhopal

Winged visitors

The news report on the Sultanpur bird sanctuary (November 25) has faltered in giving distribution status of the bird species. Black partridge is a resident species, otherwise why would the Haryana govt choose a ‘visitor’ species as its state bird? Similarly, the oriental honey buzzard, coot, black-winged atilt, sarus crane, black drongo and a few others are all ‘resident’ and breeding species found in Haryana. The black-necked crane has been given a ‘visitor’ status. This is a trans-Himalayan bird and less than 20 birds of this species live in Ladakh’s Chushul and Demchok wet-lands. The lowest they descend in the sub-continent is to Bumathang (11,500 ft) in East Bhutan.

 Lt-Gen BALJIT SINGH (retd), Chandigarh

Law Day

November 26, being ‘Law Day’, is usually celebrated in a mundane manner. Conferences and seminars involving the common man should be held on this day to reimpose the trust of mankind in the legal procedures. Judges and lawyers owe their allegiance to the pursuit of justice.

The independence and impartiality of the judiciary is the anchor of social order, individual freedom and equality of justice in our society. They need to acknowledge their social responsibility and professional obligation in public interest and for public service. There is need for legal literacy, legal aid meetings, social audit and evaluation of laws and scientific, rational and pragmatic reforms. 

HARPREET SANDHU, Advocate, Ludhiana

Health programme

This is in reference to ‘A Matter of Heart’ (November 24). Dr Aashish Contractor has rightly stated that time has come for India to wake up to the real threat of heart diseases. I would like to inform the readers that the Government of India has already launched ‘National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS). This programme was started in view of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) emerging as the leading cause of deaths in India accounting for over 53% of all deaths (WHO report 2005).

Union Health Minister Gulam Nabi Azad is taking keen interest in the programme. Majority of the cancers and cardiovascular diseases can be prevented and treated if diagnosed at an early stage. Major risk factors for NCDs are high blood pressure, cholesterol, tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, alcohol consumption and obesity which are modifiable.

Dr AJAY BAGGA, Hoshiarpur

‘Sudhar ghars’

This refers to the news item ‘Kapurthala effect: Govt mulls jail reforms’ (Nov 22). I personally underwent the trauma of living in a jail for 2 days recently. I feel if there is hell on earth, then it is in Indian jails. Meals comprise of burnt chappatis and subzi/dal in boiled and salted water, in which one has to swim to catch a piece of vegetable. All inmates suffer from malnutrition and deficiencies of many kinds.

A gift is allowed from relatives after paying 70 per cent cess (deodhi fees). There is neither any psychiatrist nor any doctor to care for the physical, mental, social and spiritual health of the prisoners. After Emergency, jails were to be called ‘sudhar ghars’ but looking at the condition of the jail inmates, one cannot even imagine the pitiable and inhuman conditions that they live in. How will we reform the inhabitants?

AVTAR NARAIN CHOPRA, Kurukshetra