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Caste-based promotions an anathema

While vote bank politics is dictating the course of action that various parties are taking on the issue of reservation in promotions, no attempt is being made to go into the demerits of caste-based promotions in government jobs (editorial 'Quotas in promotions’, May 18). Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the builder of modern India, wrote as Prime Minister of the country to all the Chief Ministers on June 27, 1961: If we go in for reservations on communal and caste basis, we swamp the bright and able people and remain second-rate or third-rate. I am grieved to learn of how far this business of reservation has gone based upon communal considerations. It has amazed me to learn that even promotions are based sometimes on communal or caste considerations. This way lies not only folly, but disaster. Let us help the backward groups by all means, but never at the cost of efficiency. How are we going to build our public sector or indeed any sector with second-rate people?

S C CHABBA, Panchkula

II

Once a scheduled caste is individually appointed in service on reservation basis, he enjoys an equal status with his co-servicemen. Then how can he be deemed as socially and economically backward needing further reservation? Reservation in promotion not only disheartens the employees but also surreptitiously suggest them to turn to corruption to make up for snatching of their legitimate promotion by the scheduled castes.

The senior official would hesitate to check the nefarious activities of his junior scheduled caste official out of fear that tomorrow he might be his boss.

DARYAO SINGH MALIK, Karnal

III

Time has come to end the quota system for the development of the country. The Prime Minister should think that any such move to bring amendment in the Constitution will destroy the peace of the country. The MPs should understand their responsibility of taking a well-considered stand on the issue based on national interest.

The editorial rightly states that public-interest groups must also step in to debate the issue of caste-based promotions in all its aspects before the government moves to legislate on it. The Supreme Court has struck down quotas in promotions.

SAHIL GARG, Chandigarh

IV

The need is to make the children more efficient right from school irrespective of caste. Let us pledge to eradicate caste politics. Vote bank politics needs to be strongly opposed and our Supreme Court must take the lead in this direction.

RAJESH BHARDWAJ, Paonta Sahib (HP)

Explore more

There was a time when the families of British officers would travel all the way from Calcutta to Shimla to be amidst nature to enjoy the scenic beauty of the place. With the passage of time not only the Queen of Hills, but a majority of the well-known hill stations in Himachal Pradesh have lost interest among tourists as preferred tourist destinations (editorial ‘Luring tourists’, May 19).

The state government should work seriously to exploit the tourism potential of places like Dalhousie, Rajgarh, Chail, Sabathu and areas adjoining Shimla by providing better and easy access, rather than unnecessarily over-stretching the already-congested tourist towns.

Dr V K ANAND, Patiala

Personal motive

With Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls round the corner. A high-pitch campaign for carving out new districts from Kangra is being launched to gain political mileage. This campaign is being spearheaded by a cabinet minister of the Dhumal government. The minister is on a sticky wicket, owing to abolition of Thural constituency of Kangra district, as a result of delimitation of constituencies. He is struggling desperately to find a new constituency to contest the Assembly election. Hence, he has started this campaign for trifurcation of Kangra, to have a new constituency to contest the Assembly elections. The people of Kangra should not succumb to such sinister designs.

KK MISHRA, Mohali

English medium

Students with rural background are under-privileged in education as compared to urban students. Serving in higher education for the past 32 years, I realise that the medium of instruction for students in schools should be English rather than Punjabi. The students ultimately have to compete with urban students who study all subjects in English and represent their state at national and international levels. It is difficult to cope up without English as medium of learning particularly Science.

Dr RAMESH DOGRA, Chandigarh