II

We have atleast thousands (may be lakhs) of families each member of which spends Rs 35,000 on one meal in a five star hotel each day. There is no dearth of money in our nation, apart from black money stashed away in foreign banks. We as a nation are often work-shirkers and families keep on begging or availing subsidies generation after generation. Life may be hard but we can endeavour towards making it work-oriented. People in general would live on alms but won't work hard to change their plight. 

After the Hiroshima bombing, the people of Japan made the nation rise from the ashes, solely due to their hard work. Why can't we develop such a spirit? 

MPS CHADHA, Mohali

Bargain power

It is highly unfortunate that the position of the President of India, the most coveted chair in India, has become a subject of bargain (News item “Presidential race wide open as Mamata drives a hard bargain”, May 5). It is high time to do away with the eulogy of being a great democracy passing through a `transitory phase’ and think about some serious structural-functional transformations on the political front.

Dr Ravi K MAHAJAN, Chandigarh

Peasantry in trouble

I never “condemned the Jat agitators lock, stock and barrel” as insinuated by Dr Raj Bahadur Yadav in the ‘Letters to the Editor’(May 3). In the seminar held by Haryana Insaaf Society on reservation issue, I said that the Jats have every right to agitate for their demands. However, no community howsoever dominant it is, has the right to disrupt rail and road traffic putting the general public to inconvenience. Leaders of the Jat agitation, if they follow Dr Lohia, should gherao decision-makers or if they are Gandhians, they should undertake fast unto death in support of their demands.

Dr Yadav is right in referring to the ‘distressed’ Jat peasantry. This is equally true of peasants from other castes like Brahmins, Rajputs, Bishnois, Rors etc on account of crisis in agriculture. By following his logic, all of them should be given reservation quota.

DR CHAUDHRY, Rohtak

Personal agenda

Religious places such as mosques are being used by self-styled Muslim leaders to fulfill their political aspirations and to mislead the illiterate masses. In the interest of social harmony, the government should ban the use of religious places for political gatherings (news item “Reconstitute Panjab Wakf Board on old pattern: Jamait-e-Ulma Hind”, Chandigarh Tribune, May 6).

It was with great wisdom and efforts that separate Wakf Boards were created for the states of Panjab, Haryana and Himachal. The respective boards are performing the expected duties as per the provision of the Wakf Board Act.

The demand for a common Wakf Board is not only mischievous but reflects the personal agenda of a few individuals for their own welfare. It would be better, if the so-called Muslim leaders practice and preach the basic tenets of the religion so that the illiterate masses come out of the present social, economic and educational backwardness. It will not only help the society, but the country at large.