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IAS officers need change in attitude

Apropos the article 'The rot within IAS' (August 28) by Kuldip Nayar, what has eluded the writer is the fact that the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) as a system requires a change. It has failed the country and the people. The attitude of public servants requires a change and that too a "quick change". It is not the politicians they should be afraid of but their own attitude! Even clerks working with IAS officers have a high-headed attitude and smack of corruption.

COL PRADEEP SHARMA (RETD), via email

II

It is not only IAS, even IPS and other officers are being humiliated at the hands of politicians. Some officers, to a great extent, are responsible for their disgrace as they try to please political masters to get prime postings and act according to their wishes, irrespective of the rules. It is their moral duty to serve the country with honesty and sincerity and not dance to the tunes of politicians as mentioned by Kuldip Nayar.

The IAS officers association must fight for honest officers. As for corrupt officials, the UPSC, being the appointing authority, must be involved while taking disciplinary action against them. The government should not support corrupt officials/politicians for the sake of vote banks.

O P Garg, Patiala

Curative petitions

I agree with Ashwani Dutta's letter 'Forum for curative petitions' (August 17). The judges have been dismissing curative petitions summarily just like review petitions. They have conveniently forgotten that there may be circumstances wherein declining to reconsider a so-called final judgment would be "oppressive to judicial conscience and cause perpetuation of irremediable injustice".

RAM NATH WADHWA, Karnal

II

A high-powered forum is a must for reviewing all the curative petitions dismissed so far because each such petition carries certification by a senior advocate with regard to its maintainability, which is not there in the case of review petitions. They cannot, therefore, be dismissed in the manner this has been done without a detailed speaking order or without giving the senior advocate concerned an opportunity to justify his certification.

BHIM SEN GUPTA, Ambala

Buy ‘swadeshi’

The swadeshi movement is the answer to the current economic turmoil we are in. The editorial 'Growth slips further' (September 2) was timely. This turmoil is the result of many wrong policies of the Congress government. We should shun foreign brands and adopt our domestic products. It will save our small-scale industries, which are on the verge of extinction due to big foreign corporate houses. The import of all items must stop and the production of domestic goods should be increased. The government should not take ridiculous proposals like the one to close the petrol pumps from 8 pm to 8 am.

PREETINDER JIT KAUR, Amritsar

Stop the shame

This refers to the editorial 'Maximum shame' (August 24). The editorial rightly states that there has been a spurt in rape cases over the past few months. It is a disturbing factor for all women as they feel insecure in their own country. In such a scenario, the only remedy to curb this rising crime lies in framing new effective and harsh laws to punish the guilty. Only then can we expect a turnaround in the situation.

SANJAY CHAWLA, Amritsar

Donate eyes

The Almighty has blessed this beautiful and bountiful world with wonderful sights. I gaze and admire whenever I get some leisure. What pleases me the most are the colours. Life seems to be a rainbow which absorbs all types of colours in it. A feeling of obligation runs in my veins. I bow before Him.

But usually I feel clumsy at the misfortune of those who disown eyes. When a blind or a one-eyed person happens to meet me abruptly, it made me wonder - many people are dying each second but who cares to fill colours in the pictures of others. I ponder over it occasionally and each time it makes me realise it's worth even more. It stirs me deeply. Here I do humbly suggest if we all people take a pledge to donate our eyes at the time of death, it will sustain somebody's life making his/her world colorful and cheerful having all the colours of rainbow.

ACME MITTAL, Goniana Mandi