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

Stand and stare

The middle “Life on the other side of the wall” by Ramesh Luthra (June 2) highlights the need to enjoy life before we are left with the “if” of life in the autumn of our lives. People struggle day in and day out to reach somewhere in life, to be someone, to achieve everything under the sky. They toil hard so that they can enjoy life on being successful. However, when one goal is achieved, bigger goals are put to us by life, chasing which we spend life, without looking at the rising sun or listening to the sweet song of the nightingale.

The clock keeps ticking relentlessly and time passes by stealthily. If we ever stop and look back on the years gone by, we would realise how many precious moments have been bulldozed by us chasing success on the superhighway of life.

We may be very successful businessmen or professionals, but are we able to appreciate nature’s wonders around us? We should take breaks from our work schedules to refresh and spend some time doing things which we cherished during our childhood.

A poet has rightly said: “What is this life if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare?”

BHUSHAN CHANDER JINDAL, Jamnagar

Patiala coverage poor

The Tribune has no pullout or separate coverage for Patiala, unlike Bathinda, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Amritsar. Patiala is an important city of Punjab and enjoys the heritage status. Patiala is home to the Diesel Mech Workshop, NIS, education institutes, and the cantonment. Nabha and Sangrur are part of it. With many state government head offices in the city, the strength of officers here is more than that in Chandigarh. The readers must not be deprived of its coverage.

OP Garg, Patiala

Punish rapists

Every day we read news of rape cases. They affect the morale of the women. The crime seems to be done without any fear of law. Apropos the report “UP rape horror” (May 31), it is time to promulgate stern laws inflicting exemplary punishment upon the culprits so that nobody ever dares think of such a crime. Capital punishment or rigorous imprisonment is no solution to this grave problem. The culprit should be made to die a slow death as the rape victim and other members of her family die. The pillars of our society, i.e. the legislature, executive, police and media, should join hands to address this problem.

Vanika Arora & Sushma Arora, Kurukshetra

e-ticket not enough?

I booked an e-ticket for a Delhi to Ludhiana AC PRTC integral coach for12.30 am, June 3. When I reached the ISBT, to my surprise, the conductor refused to let me board the bus. He showed me a department circular stating that that no e-tickets are allowed. I produced the e-ticket, operating PNR number, identity card and bank credit card, but he was rude and adamant that without a hard copy of the ticket, no one could board the bus. It was very annoying at midnight. After persuasion, arguments and the intervention of the PRTC inspector of the ISBT, Delhi, the conductor allowed me in the bus. It is not mentioned anywhere in the PRTC website that a hard copy of the e-ticket is mandatory. ThePRTC should look into the matter.

Rahul Dua, Ludhiana

Precious water wasted

The trend of welcoming aircraft such as Airbus A-380 of the Singapur Airlines in New Delhi and a fighter-aircraft in Jodhpur with water cannons, especially when the common man has to struggle hard to get even drinking water, is unjustified and a thoughtless step. Such extravaganzas must stop at once.

ASHOK K. ASHU, Patiala

Trudging for water

Come summers and the residents of this hill state face a water crisis even as the authorities concerned maintain a silence on the issue. Successive governments have failed to fashion a fool-proof mechanism to combat the acute water crisis and the residents are left to fend for themselves.

The crisis is more pronounced in Kangra, Hamirpur and Mandi districts. The residents are forced to trudge long distances in the sweltering heat to fetch water for drinking, their livestock and for sundry uses.

All major political parties go in an overdrive to exploit the situation and make water crisis a major poll plank during the elections and even win many seats, but nothing tangible has been done to redress the residents’ grievance.

RAMESH K. DHIMAN, Chandigarh

Upgrade skills

Apropos “CV and jobless soldiers” (April 30), retired servicemen do not get good jobs because they rarely upgrade their academic or technical qualifications. There is a difference in the working styles of the civil and defence sectors. All organisations look for professional skills. I was offered jobs in banking and insurance and an MNC, which I took up, though I was an avionics engineer. The reason was that as a serviceman, I had upgraded as a post-graduate with an engineering diploma. Now I have the pensionary benefits of an MNC. A friend, after retirement as CPO from the Navy, joined an IT firm with a five-figure salary. He is now the MD of his own organisation. To get a post-retirement job, upgrading of skills is necessary.

Ex-Sgt S S Chahal, Moga

Missing humour

I disagree with views expressed by some learned readers on the middle “CV of a soldier” by Col IPS Kohli. Hony Capt (Retd) KL Saini (May 12 and AS Anand (May 27) have missed the tongue-in-cheek humour and have taken the subject too seriously. The flavour and nuance depicting an exchange between a soldier and an employee of a placement agency was pure humour.

COL (Retd) PARAMJIT SINGH, Mohali

Shun surnames

The writing of surnames which depict religion and caste should be discontinued/banned. Only the first name should be used. It would help end discrimination and make India a truly secular state.

Arun Sond, Chandigarh

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