PU’s unacademic attitude

THE recent circular by the Panjab University authorities prohibiting the members of the faculty from editing or the management of any newspaper or periodical and enforcing similar other regulations to curtail their freedom of expression smells of authoritarianism and preindependence colonialism. That the teachers are being prohibited from all forms of expression, including writing a book or a pamphlet and contributing articles to newspapers and journals or even writing a letter to the editor of a newspaper shows the unacademic attitude of the university authorities as well as their irrepressible urge to control the minds of all the members of the faculty, perhaps with the intention to make them fall in line with the management thinking. Or the motive could be even to avoid exposure of any of the misdeeds of the bosses as well as hide their own frequent violations of the letter and the spirit of the university statutes and calendar.

The teachers of a university should, in fact, be given the role of opinion makers and active collaborators in the important task of social reconstruction. They are to be seen as the harbingers of change through their research and scholarship as well as the promoters of knowledge. Any change in thinking or attitudes is impossible without an atmosphere of freedom with a scope for open and frank discussion and debate. This, in fact, is the very foundation of higher education. Hegemony and brow-beating in a university system should be avoided at all costs, and if some outdated statutes and regulations still continue to be a part of an outdated system of rules and regulations, these should be altered without any delay.

Have we forgotten the famous lines of Rabindranath Tagore, one of the architects of India’s Independence: “Where the mind is without fear and held is high/ Where knowledge is free.../ Where words come out from the depth of truth.../ Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into dreary desert sand of dead habit.../ Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

There is a lot in our education system that needs reform. Let us begin where it’s the most essential. Further, and more importantly, let us curb tendencies towards parochialism and totalitarianism in a democratic setup.

ANIL SARWAL
Chandigarh

Kisan Passbook

The Tribune report captioned "Kisan Passbook released" (Nov 1) is encouraging. The passbook in question would reportedly enjoy legal validity and is thus an improvement on the earlier one introduced in Himachal way back in 1982.

As the report shows, the new kisan passbook would be fairly comprehensive, having as many as 14 different chapters. I do hope that, along with other details of the holdings, the passbook would also contain detailed maps of each and every khasra number comprising the relevant holdings, failing which the document would be palpably incomplete and its utility would stand jeopardised considerably.

As for the settlement of holdings, the state government would be well-advised to make the erection of boundary pillars mandatory for the settlement department wherever the crucial operation-settlement is carried out. Sans the vital pillars, the demarcation of holdings invariably poses a problem, thus leading to endless litigation among the land owners. Incredibly enough, the boundary pillars are conspicuous by their total absence in the accursed Una district where operation-settlement of holdings is reportedly complete.

TARA CHAND
Ambota (Una)

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Settling Kashmir issue

In every religion there is a concept of love — love of God, love of humanity, love for good values of life — so that a neat and clean society, beneficial to all, may take birth. But when religion is used to create a crisis among the masses, it is reduced to the level of a dogma to achieve selfish objectives.

Love has the capacity to solve even our most difficult problems like that of Kashmir involving India and Pakistan. It can work wonders if the youth of the two countries come together to form a special union, leaving aside one's caste, creed or religion.

Let us shed hatred and come together so that we may create history.

ANUPMA KAUSHIK
Chandigarh