The Hindu : New Delhi News : Reader's Mail

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Monday, Oct 30, 2006
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New Delhi

New Delhi

Reader's Mail

Yes, Munna Bhai

Thanks to the much talked about movie "Lage Raho Munna Bhai", "Gandhigiri" has suddenly become the buzzword these days. People all over are asking: Is Gandhism relevant today? And then why Gandhism through Gandhigiri?

First, is there a need for Gandhism to descend to Gandhigiri? Yes, there is. Because people have conveniently forgotten Gandhian values. Even the trademark Gandhi cap is a rare sight these days. The youth of India today are so engrossed in Western lifestyle and Page 3 culture that any talk of Gandhism sounds ridiculous to them. So it required a movie and a star like Sanjay Dutt to remind people that Gandhiji is not dead.

Now, is Gandhism relevant? It is -- and it will always be relevant. Speak the truth, love others, stand up for all that is right are the traits of a good human being and a patriotic citizen. Can these ever be irrelevant? Gandhian values are basic human values. These values can never be irrelevant

Gandhism today stands eclipsed by corruption, materialistic pursuits and selfishness.

Let us clean it up with Gandhigiri. If a movie can move the nation to such an extent, then it is definitely possible to revive Gandhism. Gandhiji is lying dormant in each of us. Let us introspect and touch our own conscience. Gandhiji will return.

Colonel R. D. Singh,

Commandant,

213 Transit Camp,

Jammu - 180 004.

One-man show

Believe it or not, the Railway Board is running a railway station virtually without any staff. It is the Naya Ghaziabad station, only 26 km from Delhi Main Junction. It was opened on September 21, 1975, and since then it has been functioning without any staff except one -- only one -- booking clerk.

At present as many as 18 trains stop here and more than 5,000 commuters use this station every day.

Our repeated requests to the Railway Board as well as other Railway authorities for provision of the requisite staff at this station have been in vain. No wonder it has become a paradise for ticketless travellers.

It is time the authorities set matters right.

M. B. Dubey Bijnori,

Secretary, Dainik Yatri Sangh (Regd.),

1/10459, Mohan Park,

Naveen Shahdara,

Delhi - 110 032.

Dwarka calling....

More than a year has passed since the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) inaugurated with much fanfare two approach roads for Sub-city Dwarka -- one from near the Domestic Terminal of Delhi airport to Dwarka Sector 1 and the second from National Highway No. 8 to Dwarka Sector 22. Both these roads serve as lifelines for people living in Dwarka and adjoining areas. On the first road, which is about 6.5 km long, a very large number of crowded buses ply, but the DDA and the Delhi Government both have forgotten to put up any bus shelters.

The situation becomes particularly problematic at the flyover over the railway lines, where although there is a bus bay, there is no bus shelter nor any safe passage for commuters to cross the road and board a bus from the other side.

Lights too are missing from the staircase going down to Palam Gaon. During peak hours, the bus bay at this point leads to huge traffic jams. Except for this bus stop, there are no other legal bus stops on this 2.7-km-long flyover -- the longest in Delhi -- below which a large population resides and relies for its commuting needs largely on buses. Moreover, DTC bus services are virtually absent on the Najafgarh, Dwarka and Palam Gaon routes.

As a regular commuter, I feel Route 764 (Nehru Place to Najafgarh) is a fit case for introduction of the much talked about new High-Capacity Bus Service.

On the second approach road, which is also 5-6 km in length, there are neither anybuses plying nor any bus shelters, although this route would eventually connect the proposed Dwarka Inter-State Bus Terminus.

It seems the DDA and the Delhi Government believe that both these roads ought to serve only the vehicle-owning population and not the ordinary man and woman commuting by buses.

So much for all that talk by the Capital's ruling party about the Common Man!

Shikhar Ranjan,

C-129, Siddhartha Kunj Apartments,Plot No. 17, Sector 7,Dwarka,

New Delhi - 110 075.

Animal lovers

The complaint in the name of Binu Sharma in these columns on September 25, "Me too", is totally baseless. There is no entry in our hospital registers of any dogs belonging to anyone named Binu Sharma of B-99, Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi - 110029.

As a rule, any dog that enters our hospital is given a tag number at the entry point before it is taken in for treatment or sterilisation. We have thoroughly checked our entry registers; there is no entry of any dog belonging to any such name and address.

We have even sent our volunteers across Safdarjung Enclave to try and contact Binu Sharma. We did not come across any B-99 or anyone named Binu Sharma.

Irani Mukherjee,

Founder-Chairperson, Circle of Animal Lovers (Regd),

E-67, DDA Flats, Saket,

New Delhi - 110 017.

Music festival

Gayathri Fine Arts, Thaala Bhakti and Rasika Priya New Delhi will jointly organise an anjali music festival to commemorate Muthuswamy Dikshithar, one of the Trinity of Carnatic music, on November 11 and 12 at Gayathri Apartments in Sector 9 of Rohini in New Delhi.

The two-day festival will present 25 artistes of Delhi and it is expected that at least 100 of the compositions of the master composer will be showcase in the anjali. This is the first time that such an anjali has been planned in Delhi. Further details can be obtained on phone (98184-76632).

N. A. Ramachandran,

Vice-President, Gayathri Fine Arts,

32-A, Gayathri Apartments,

Plot 21, Sector 9, Rohini,

New Delhi - 110 085.

(Letters for this column may be sent by e-mail to wsins@thehindu.co.in. They must carry the full postal address of the writer and should be marked "Reader's Mail".)

Commandant,

213 Transit Camp,

Jammu - 180 004.

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