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

Who is checking bonded labour?

The Supreme Court is taking up the cudgels to correct the wrongs in every area brought to its notice. On the child labour issue, it gave directions to the concerned authorities to identify and check the practice of bonded labour in this country and also to rehabilitate the victims affected by this menace. But who cares in this country? The SC directions include conducting fresh surveys periodically once in 3 years in all states/UTs and making data available on its website.

The responsibility of conducting surveys is on the district level vigilance committees of the state/UT which must take prompt action in case violence is noticed. The committees have also been asked to rehabilitate the freed bonded labourers by extending monetary relief. The District Magistrate has been given directions to discharge his duties with due diligence. Besides, the states and UTs are required to submit half yearly reports to the National Human Right Commission.

GURDINERJIT SINGH BHATIA, Patiala

Parallel empire

There exists a strong nexus between corporate houses, builders, property dealers and government officials (editorial “Land of Grabbers”, October 18). A large number of poor, small land holders whose plots were lying vacant have been unlawfully resumed and given away at astronomical prices to builders and property dealers, raking up enormous amounts of black money in the hands of land mafia.

All the land deals and sale and purchase of residential and commercial plots carried out in the state must be thoroughly probed and investigated. There definitely are shady dealings, fraud and foul play and gross injustice going on in land deals in Haryana.

The real estate sector is in dire need of a major surgery. The entire business of sale and purchase of lands and properties has spawned a parallel empire of black money. It has fallen prey to the land mafia who control and overlord the shady 80 per cent business of real estate in our country, not without collusion and connivance of government functionaries, of course.

YOGESHWAR DAVAR, Hisar

‘Shadow Cabinet’

We have witnessed family rule, party dictatorship and individual autocracy at the topmost level which are against the basic principles of democracy. To have a major change, we will have to establish a new reformed political system. ‘Shadow Cabinet’ system on the line of the Westminster system of government could be brought in so that the government remains on its toes and remains alert about any misdoing.

A ‘shadow cabinet’ is a group of opposition leaders who under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition form an alternative cabinet to the government’s, whose members shadow or mark each individual member of the Cabinet.

The people of India should prepare themselves for the next general elections. They have learnt that they had been electing incompetent and dishonest people in the past and that is the reason they had been getting the government they deserved. If they continue committing the same mistake, they shall suffer for another term of five years.

DALIP SINGH WASAN, Patiala

Animal sacrifice

What is morally wrong cannot be right in any way. In the name of God, the practice of animal sacrifice has nowhere been recommended in the Hindu religious scriptures. “Patram, pushpam, pkatam, toyam ch, yo me bhaktya prayacchti” (Verse 26, chapter 9, Gita) meaning ‘whosoever offers to me with love a leaf, a flower, a fruit or even water, ‘I’ delightfully partake that.’

Superstitions and blind faith supported the ritual during the Vedic era which are continuing till date at many places. We should realise that animals help in minimising obnoxious gases in the air by consuming unwanted grass and weeds.

RAVI DATTA, Jwalamukhi (Kangra)

Rules for cops too

Traffic rules are disobeyed and bluntly ignored by policemen themselves and of course commuters. Higher officials of the Chandigarh Traffic Police are well aware of this disobedience. Facebook page of Chandigarh police is flooded with complaints against such cops and it has also been brought to the notice of higher officials many times, but the issue remains ignored. The Traffic Police Department must train its personnel on their duties and traffic rules before preaching them to the general public.

GAURAV S, Chandigarh