The Hindu : New Delhi News : Readers' Mail

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 10, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Readers' Mail

A thought for today

Sir, -- When the sun sets this Monday evening, May 10, the Mahabharat War (yes, Jayalalithaa compared the current election scene with Kauravas and Pandavas) will finally be over. As opposed to 18 days, this one has lasted 180 days because the decision on the battle of the ballot came gushing, in fact, on a wave of "India shining and feel good factors", at the conclusion of Parliament's winter session.

Our politicians have successfully divided the nation on grounds of religion, language, region, sex, caste -- Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs, Yadavs, Jats, Bishnois, Rajputs, Thakurs and what have you, along with the inevitable references to "Manuvadis", Muslims and so-called upper castes.

What a tapestry to be proud of? And out of all this morass the shrewd, smart and intelligent voter is supposed to find a solution. The resulting khichari will then be expected to govern this nation, a potential economic giant and a mature democracy in the polity of nations!

And so help us God.

Mukund B. Kunte,

148 Munirka Enclave,

Nelson Mandela Road,

New Delhi.

* * *

Pension, please

Sir, -- The news in The Hindu (April 16) about the Union Government's decision not to give pension benefits to pensioners above 75 years of age is shocking.

I am 78 years old. I have no sons to take care of me and I am dependent solely on my pension for my livelihood. I urge the Government not to deprive me of my only source of income and sustenance at this age.

B. Raja Ram,

C 564, Lodhi Road Complex,

New Delhi - 110 003.

* * *

No, Prime Minister

Sir, -- In his recent election campaign speeches the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, has come out with fantastic promises which cannot be fulfilled and tall claims which cannot be accepted because these are not based on reality. His promise of appointing 2 crore Urdu teachers is the worst kind of fantastic promise which has nothing to do with reality.

According to the 1991 Census, the total number of Urdu-speaking people in the country is 4.34 crores. How can there be any ground, then, for appointment of 2 crore Urdu teachers?

He then comes up with this tall and ill-founded claim that during the NDA rule of about six years at the Centre there has been a reduction in the number of communal riots across the country. This contention is contradicted by the fact that during the period 1998-2002, apart from Gujarat, as many as 732 riots had taken place in the country and 1,570 persons lost their lives while 4,908 were injured.

Similarly, his contention that more than Rs.100 crores had been spent on modernisation of madrassas -- which according to the Sangh Parivar's affiliate organisations are dens of Pakistani espionage -- and that 10,000 products of these madrassas had been given employment is not supported by facts at all.

M. Hashim Kidwai,

C-501, Rose Wood Apartments,

Mayur Vihar,

Delhi - 110 091.

* * *

Voter's right

Sir, -- The propaganda unleashed by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Government at the Centre in recent weeks in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections has reached such proportions that it is becoming increasingly difficult for the common voter to discern the truth about the progress made by the country during the six years of NDA rule.

The real yardstick of progress is provision of the basic necessities of life to the poor people of the country. How far has the Government been able to remove poverty from rural India? What steps has it taken for rehabilitation of those who suffered during floods and cyclones and riots in various States across the country? How far has the Government succeeded in providing jobs to millions of unemployed youth in the country? How far has it succeeded in removing corruption from society? Has the number of people sleeping on the footpaths increased or decreased during the NDA rule? Why do the question papers of almost all major examinations get leaked?

The Indian voter has a right to know the answers to these and many other burning questions of the day today. All tall claims of "India Shining" and "feel good factor" are meaningless if the ground realities are different. Providing hi-fi cellular phones to empty bellies cannot be considered an example of "India Shining".

S.A. Bari,

67-A, Zakir Bagh,

Opposite Hotel Surya Sofitel,

New Delhi - 110 025.

* * *

Kashmiri teachers' plight

Sir, -- For nearly a decade now the Delhi Government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi have been extending on an year-to-year basis the appointments of Kashmiri migrant teachers working on consolidated salaries on contract, the latest extension being valid up to April 30, 2004.

Despite assurances from the authorities concerned that the appointments would be regularised, action is awaited. Meanwhile, the migrant teachers continue to suffer and live in a state of uncertainty.

The authorities are urged to consider the matter sympathetically and implement the longstanding demand of the teachers urgently.

L.C. Kaul,

Secretary, All India Kashmiri Samaj Trust,

B-8, Pamposh Enclave,

New Delhi - 110 018.

* * *

For women's sake

Sir, -- Electrolux deserves a handful of applause for not only realising its social responsibility but also taking the initiative by organising a four-day self-defence workshop for women in Delhi recently. It has proved that words have worth only if they are followed by action as its action, not words, which solves a problem.

Such workshops have to be arranged on a regular basis to empower women to protect themselves. It's they who have to stand up and wage war against evils like physical harassment and eve-teasing.

The Government should also realise the need to talk about this problem and make it an issue for elections. It's time to erase it from the roots by giving it the shape of an "abhiyan" - a crusade - like, say, "Pulse polio abhiyan", with equal participation by girls and women.

The Government can arrange self-defence workshops and classes in colonies on a regular basis. In schools and colleges the Government should impart self-defence training from primary classes and make it compulsory for the children to clear the self-defence examination.

Ravneet Kaur,

D-61, B.K. Dutt Colony,

New Delhi - 110 003.

* * *

Not shining

Sir, -- My case detailed below would show that at least the Central Government's Employees' Provident Fund Organisation is not "shining" and that I am "feeling bad". Let me explain....

After I resigned from Webneuron Services Ltd., B-52, Okhla Industrial Estate III, New Delhi, on December 19, 2000, I applied for payment of my PF accumulations (vide my PF A/c No. DL/23106/34) into my bank account.

For over three years now I have been shuttling between the offices of the EPFO (SAO, East Delhi) at F-117/118, Main Bazar, Laxmi Nagar, Delhi - 110092, and the EPFO (SAO, Nehru Place), 5th-7th floors, 60 Skylark Building, Nehru Place, New Delhi, but in vain.

May I hope to get my legitimate dues now?

Ritu Raizada,

105, Link Apartments,

18 Patparganj,

Delhi - 110 092

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