When Nehru visited Shimla

  MR P.D. Tandon in his article “Memories of Nehru: grandeur of human spirit” (The Tribune, November 14) has vividly brought out the noble qualities of Jawaharlal Nehru about showering his benevolence on others.

I had the good luck of seeing and hearing Nehru from close quarters, and feel strongly about narrating some instances of similar nature. In May, 1945, Lord Wavell invited the representatives of different political parties to the historic Shimla Conference to discuss the future set-up of the government.

Nehru was travelling in a small vehicle between Tara Devi and Shimla when he noticed that people had thronged the hilly strip above the road to see him. He at once came out from the carriage and sat on its bonnet, affectionately responding to the cheers of the people, giving them rare thrill of life. He got down near the barrier and walked up with Maulana Azad to a building called Arms Dale where they were to stay.

Some of us who could manage to come out of the police barricade followed them to the building where Nehru gave a touching account of the freedom struggle, and encouraged us to contribute our mite in the noble cause. I was a small boy at that time. I reached Arms Dale very early next morning when he was about to leave for Summer Hill, to attend a meeting, where Mahatma Gandhi was staying. We were about six boys pushing his rickshaw to the destination. As he entered the house we departed.

We used to attend the evening prayers of Mahatma Gandhi every day and had the good luck of seeing the majority of our leaders. The deliberations of the Shimla Conference continued for some days before they ended without achieving any result.

Before leaving Shimla, Nehru walked from Summer Hill to The Mall. Almost the entire population of Shimla swarmed around him in the manner in which bees of a hive surround the queen bee. As he reached The Ridge, people requested him to guide them about the further course of action. I remember two things clearly on which he laid emphasis in his lecture. He said, “People often ask me as to when India will be free. I tell them that India will be free the day they learn to walk and work like the British. You see a group of Indians walking together on a road and note the difference in their movements of feet, hands, bodies and looks. They will be different with each individual. Similar will be the case with the work they do.”

Another thing Nehru told in his lecture was that people asked him as to how they could become good leaders like him. He laughed and said that his suggestion to such people was that they should not think of leadership but start serving the people with honesty and devotion. Then leadership would run after them.

D.R. THAKUR
Ex-Pro-Vice-Chancellor,
HP Agriculture University
Solan

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Pointless suggestion

It is a matter of grave concern that like Mr Kuldip Nayar and Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav, there are people who pointlessly suggest that India should extend economic aid to Pakistan. They seem delusioned enough to advocate even third-party mediation on Kashmir. One is forced to wonder if this kind of thinking has something to do with one’s advanced age, or are they simply trying to make waves?

Household differences must always be settled within the family. Let us not wash our dirty linen internationally. Aren’t we aware that the USA is already itching to find a handle to enable it to gain control over Asia? Having already been instrumental in breaking up the erstwhile USSR, it now yearns to further consolidate its supremacy as the master of the whole world? No other place than Kashmir ideally fits its ignominious designs, to act as a pivotal point in extending control over the Asian region.

VIVEK KHANNA
Panchkula

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For the handicapped

The Government of India has introduced a scheme for the exemption of a sum of Rs 20,000 for the deposits made on behalf of a dependent handicapped person. The amount deposited is paid to the dependent after the death of the guardian of such a person as per the scheme, floated by UTI and the LIC.

It seems to be a joke with handicapped persons. The UTI has now discontinued the scheme, and no option has been left except to fall back on the LIC, which is not giving a satisfactory return on the amount so invested.

I want to suggest that such an amount or a part of it should be made available to the guardian or the dependent during the life-time of the guardian so that it could be used for the welfare of the handicapped person in certain circumstances such as marriage and purchase of house, etc.

RAJESH KAPOOR
Ropar

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Hayer murder

The brutal murder of Tara Singh Hayer in Canada is a shocking news. The sheer blatant nature of the crime very clearly reveals the cynicism of bigots to strait-jacket crusading enthusiasm and these miscreants manoeuvred to crush the liberal voice of the press which had been safeguarding the rights of the migrants from the repression of the European diplomatic trends and atrocities meted out to them. Tara Singh was not an apostate. Nor had he any intention to desecrate the traditionally ordained “langar” convention of Sikh community. He urged upon the necessity on a medical basis to innovate chairs and tables only for physically disabled persons who found it difficult to sit crosslegged in the “pangat” of the “langar”.

Langar is the most socialistic institution, which great Gurus ushered to bridge communal differences and to strengthen the tie of human relation. There are countless Punjabis in Canada who are living in isolation and bewilderment. Filial ingratitudes of their children have squeezed them helpless beyond any hope of rehabilitation. These old people visit gurdwaras all alone for peace, being sandwiched between acquired culture of the land of their domicile and their ancestral rituals of piety and righteousness. Many a times it is too difficult for them to sit on haunches or crosslegged while sharing a morsel of divine “langar”.

DAVID ALLEN LONGFELLOW
Ludhiana

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Reservation policy

The issue of continuance or discontinuance of the reservation policy has become so important that The Tribune should earmark a special space to contain the endless debates over it. It is my personal observation that the issue has become so sensitive with the upper castes that a bit of extra oxygen may flare up the burning hearts, giving rise to violence, caste-wars and the disruption of peace.

It is time to give a serious thought to the relevance of caste-based policies if such an atmosphere is to be avoided.

It is well known that concessions once given are difficult to be withdrawn at a later stage. But how long can we allow the merit to be strangled by caste preferences?

JAGVIR GOYAL
Bathinda

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Democracy or mobocracy?

It is quite distressing that even after 50 years of Independence, we have not understood the real meaning of democracy. For democracy to be really fruitful, proper education is the basic ingredient so that people can understand their rights and duties in the right perspective.

Unfortunately, in our country there has been a lack of proper education, and this weakness is being exploited by some vested interests to the maximum extent. Ironically, whereas a minimum academic qualification is expected even for the post of peon, no such qualification is considered necessary for people who are expected to lead the country, Does this not sound ridiculous that even the less educated are considered fit to handle intricate problems of the country? This is nothing but a mockery of democracy.

Shockingly, some votes are bought from the gullible while some others are manipulated on the basis of caste, community or religion. The representative thus elected has no alternative but to give undue favours to his chosen few, in flagrant violation of the rules. A distorted form of democracy leads to mobocracy.

Secondly, there is no age bar in the case of leaders, who are considered fit to occupy prestigious chairs for life, whereas a government servant is considered unfit to continue beyond the age of 58 years as if he has become incompetent to handle a much lower responsibility. The logic behind this concept is difficult to understand.

Lastly, these days corruption is rampant in every field. It is a well-known fact that there is a code of conduct for our respected leaders, but it lacks the genuine intention and the force needed for its enforcement. Unless stringent punishment is given without exception, no tangible result can be expected. We must not undermine the value of the freedom which was achieved only through the sacrifices of our countrymen from all walks of life.

It is high time we considered these aspects seriously to ensure a happy future for our coming generations.

S. L. GUPTA
Panchkula

Tailpiece

Name the daughter of Amritsar known as the “Mightingale of India.”

Answer: Kiran Bedi!

K.J.S. AHLUWALIA
Amritsar