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

Bridging the rural-urban divide

SS Chhina’s article ‘The rural-urban divide' (September 6) has highlighted an educational void between the rural and the urban areas. This difference has become so wide and conspicuous that it seems impossible to narrow the gap. Poor infrastructure, teachers' training, absenteeism, vacant posts and the recruitment policy are the major road blocks in providing quality education to villagers.

Even government school teachers' do not send their children to government schools. This distrust has spread among politicians and bureaucrats who manage the institutions.

These three segments of society are not sincere toward the education of rural and deprived children. Private schools in the rural areas cannot bring in effective results. All schools should, therefore, be handed over to the local bodies/school management committees, besides forming an institutional cadre for teachers.

DR S KUMAR, Panchkula

DR AMANDEEP AGGARWAL, Longowal

Work without fear

Apropos Col Pradeep Kumars (retd) article 'IAS officers need change in attitude' (September 7), there is an Edmund Burke's proverb, "When bad men combine, the good must associate, else they will fall one by one". Some of the IAS officers do their job honestly without fear like Durga Shakti Nagpal. They should not toe the line of politicians blindly. It is time for all bureaucrats to change their mindset or else the craze for becoming an IAS officer for any aspirant will not be anyone’s dream.

SUBER SINGH PARIHAR, Nadaun (HP)

Stringent Judgment

Apropos the editorial “A landmark judgment-New rape law delivers justice,” (September 5), there is no doubt it is a milestone judgment under the amended Section 376-D of the Indian Penal Code. A trial court in Hoshiarpur has proved its responsibility toward society by sentencing the accused to jail for entire life in the rape case, using the amended Section 376-D of the IPC. This will definitely create a strong impact of effective administration of justice.

HARPREET SANDHU, Ludhiana

Vote Bill?

The Congress-led UPA government has been at the helm of affairs of the country for almost a decade. Now, when the general election is round the corner, Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh have realised that poor people need subsidised foodgrains and have introduced the Food Security Bill without weighing the adverse effects of the Bill on our tottering economy. The food Bill is sure to open the floodgates for more golden opportunities to siphon off government funds through the so-called foolproof PDA system. Moreover, the said Bill needs Rs 1,30,000 crore which is an astronomical amount. Populist measures and whopping subsidies are the root cause of the current fiscal deficit. The skyrocketing inflation and rising unemployment need to be controlled at the earliest.

KARNAIL SINGH, Kharar

Postman next?

Harish Dhillon's middle 'Requiem for the telegram' (September 2) was an excellent piece. It vividly reminds us how we used to send greetings to friends and relatives through the telegram service by quoting the relevant number assigned to each of the several expressions of salutation. The new lifestyle has deprived us of many little but sweet subtleties of existence. The character of Taar Bahu is extinct from the drama of life. Who knows our postman may soon meet the same fate!

DR KAMLESH UPPAL, Patiala

Saving the woods

There is a dire need to bring more and more area under forest cover and save trees. Every year we celebrate “vanamahotsav” and promise to use less paper by adopting alternative methods of communication. One method of saving trees is to shun the use of wood for the cremation of bodies. In cities like Chandigarh electric crematoriums have been provided to save wood. These should be provided to other cities, towns and villages so that trees and the environment could be saved.

GURNAM SINGH, Patiala