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

Preparedness of Army as real issue

RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav used offensive language against the Army chief uttering words like "ye aadmi apne gaon gaya hai, election ladna chahta hai, esko hatao” (this man has visited his village and he intends to enter electoral politics, dismiss him)

The powers that be have, however, expressed full faith in the ability and honesty of the Army chief. The denigration of the armed forces by the political establishment, aided and abetted by the bureaucratic elite, does not bode well for the country. It is a matter of deep anguish and dismay that the Chief of the Army Staff is being addressed to as "yeh aadmi".

Upright, honest and competent officers like Gen VK Singh justly and fully deserve all-out support of one and all in his struggle to uphold the banner of integrity flying high.

Political fulminations in this regard have unfortunately and totally overshadowed the real issue vis-a-vis preparedness of the armed forces to meet the challenges of national security. The letter leak episode should be treated as a case of treason.

Bureaucratic meddling in armed forces with no corresponding responsibility should come to an end.

Dr PREM SINGH DAHIYA, Rohtak

Election mode

Presenting a tax-free budget in the Himachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal has left none in doubt that the state government has shifted its gears to an election mode.

The state debt has mounted to around Rs 28,000 crore (“Himachal on right track”, March 23). This is a sizeable sum for a state whose annual budget is less than Rs 20,000 crore. This is not so bright a picture for a small state like Himachal Pradesh.

There are allegations of corruption against politicians and ministers which cannot be swept under the carpet, as they have been raised by former senior state BJP functionaries.

Both the political groups, either in power or in Opposition, are in a disarray. The simple and peace-loving people of the state should not be taken for a ride. Also it is high time for the local political leadership to stop bickering and leg-pulling for narrow and quick political gains.

The government would do well if it constituted a 'vision panel' comprising experts in economics, environment, tourism, industry, horticulture and technology to prepare a road-map of development for the state. The exercise may be done in close consultation with the union government for smooth execution.

TEK CHAND, Una (HP)

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor, neatly hand-written or typed in double space, should not exceed the 150-word limit. These can be sent by post to the Letters Editor, The Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh-160030. Letters can also be sent by e-mail to: Letters@ tribuneindia.com

— Editor-in-Chief

Chief Minister of HP, Prem Kumar Dhumal, presented budget a amounting to Rs 20,342 crore for the next year. Half of the budget is required to meet the liability of government employees. One-fourth of the budget is needed to clear interest payment of Rs 2,250 crore and Rs 1,937 crore for loan payment. The budget is silent about the measures to be taken to meet huge amount of financial liability. Some of the sops offered are non-productive and can be shelved for the time-being. Reforms of methodology in governance and austerity measures are need of the hour for curtailing government expenditure. Cut your coat according to your cloth, Mr Chief Minister.

RIKHI DAS THAKUR, Hamirpur

Moments of despair

The Middle “The purpose of suffering” (March 23) by Harish Dhillon was quite weighty in content. It is difficult to ascertain the purpose of suffering but “suffering is permanent, obscure and dark and shares the nature of infinity” said William Wordsworth.

There are situations in which human beings are unable to act. Bereavements, diseases, mishaps and accidents may strike anyone, anytime, anywhere. One has to brave oneself against the shock.

With patience and strength all unpleasant things can be endured and many pleasant ones can be attained. Patience creates confidence, decisiveness and rational outlook which eventually enables one to overcome disabilities, handicaps, weaknesses, difficulties, frustrations and emotional travails. William Shakespeare has rightly said,” The worst is not,/so long as we can say,” This is the worst’.

Life affords no higher pleasure than that of surmounting difficulties, impediments, hardships, misfortunes, stumbling blocks and adversities. One ought to follow the line of Leo Tolstoy “Fight on my dear self, fight on/life is a struggle, do not shirk struggle.”

Strong-willed people do not look for miracles, rather they seek courage and strength to overcome physical, mental, emotional and banal obstacles.

TARSEM S. BUMRAH, Batala

Institution of marriage
The pious institution of marriage thrives not because of rules and regulations but owing to love and respect for each other’s sentiments and feelings (editorial ‘Divorcing spouse’, March 29). Can these bonds be forced?

Relationships solely based on financial considerations and social compulsions add to the miseries of concerned individuals, especially the women who become objects of fulfilling sexual desire of the mightier sex.
The essence of marriage lies in love, bond and respect for each other which cannot be forced upon. Domestic conflicts and feuds, violence and ego clash between husband and wife have become routine matters. Such messy relationships impact the psychology of children who inherit negative traits and carry forward the legacy of broken relationships, which further harms the social system.
SANJEEV TRIKHA, Fatehabad