Coexist with nature

Apropos the article “Climate: A bleak picture of war, famine” (April 2), global warming is a threat to mankind. We are following the goal of growth obsessively and extracting the natural resources recklessly, without realising that they are limited and exhaustible. The pollutants thus released are destroying the ozone layer which saves us from ultraviolet radiations. We should aim to coexist with nature.

AS Anand, Ludhiana

Politics of stones

The ways of the Badal government are mysterious. There seems to be no end to the foundation-stone laying spree. No day passes without some foundation stone being laid. At times, 26 stones are laid in a day.

This despite the fact that the state is in deep debt. Punjab is finding it difficult to repay the loan to the RBI. The cash-strapped state is diverting central funds. Lecturers and teachers have been going without salary for some months. Nevertheless, the government is indulging in profligacy. It has planned to purchase 130 costly cars for its legislators. It is continuing with the atta-dal scheme of the BPL and distributing cycles to girls of classes IX-XII free of cost. Where will the money come from?

The father-son duo seems to have vowed to make a mess of the economy. They should eschew the vote bank policy which is costing the state its economic health.

Bansi Ram Rahul, Hoshiarpur

Make road safety fund

Apropos the report “Police collect Rs 98,800 through challans in Una” (April 5), the Himachal Pradesh police daily collect sizeable amounts of money by imposing fines on vehicle owners violating traffic rules. However, not even a fraction of this amount is spent on road safety measures. Shouldn’t some funds be given to strengthen the road safety clubs instituted at the thana level?

The public should be taken into confidence on the subject.

Tara Chand, Ambota (Una)

Buses skip stops

The Himachal Pradesh government is boasting of achievements in the election environment. It should not ignore some grassroot problems with regard to transportation in the Bhattiyat area.

HRTC drivers on the Chamba-Dalhousie route via Tikkri regularly skip some stops, causing inconvenience to the commuters.

Rohil Sharma, Bhattiyat

When poor are rich

The last lines of ML Kataria’s thought-provoking middle “Where the poor were richer than the rich” (April 1) reminded me of a pre-Independence popular film song “Tumko mubarak ho unchey mahal yeh, humko hai pyari hamari galian, yeh sone aur chandi ki maya tumhari, humko hai pyari hamari jhuggian” (We congratulate you on these high palaces but to us our streets are dear. You own gold and silver, but to us our slums are dear). I used to sing it to my heart’s content.

Undeniably, the poor, humble, honest and pious are god-fearing. Although living in slums and shanties, even going to sleep on an empty stomach, the god-fearing poor are much happier, contented and more aware of moral and ethical values than the rich. The Almighty embraces them to his heart and blesses those who do good to others, who rescue the needy and help the poor.

Mehnga Ram, Patiala

Correcting Khushwant

Khushwant Singh was a prolific writer and had a remarkable command of the English language. Quite often, his comments had a touch of humour and sarcasm. He was fond of Urdu poetry and translated some verses in his write-ups.

Occasionally, I pointed out some mistakes in his columns in my letters published in The Tribune. Once I wrote to him a letter mentioning some mistakes in his translation of Allama Iqbal’s poem. Instead of feeling offended, he sent me a reply: “You are not a stranger to me. I read your comments on what I write in the letters column. You are right most of the times. I am no scholar of Urdu. I only dabble in translations. I was not aware when Iqbal composed his piece on solitude. Thanks for enlightening me. I wish this finds you in good shape.”

He was a wonderful man and had his own ideas and opinions about different matters and religious beliefs. May god bless his soul.

Bhagwan Singh, Qadian