M A I L B A G

Bhagat Singh knew the essence of love

I agree with Rajshekhar Vyas’ views in his article, “Bhagat Singh thoughts on love”, that the great martyr was “full of charm” and he really knew the human passion of love. But it would be great injustice to the great revolutionary to suggest even vaguely that there was some girl in his life “who was studying in college and who always smiled at Bhagat Singh”.

Though I do not deny such a possibility, Bhagat Singh was never keen on such a delicate tie. Even the biographical accounts of the great martyr suggest that when talks about his marriage were on, he ran away to Kanpur to work with his comrades. Even his aesthetic sense reverberates with a deep consciousness of moral values when he says, “Love in itself can never be an animal passion. Love always elevates the character of man. It never lowers him…”.

In fact, Bhagat Singh’s love extended beyond personal and family ties and embraced millions of our countrymen who were reeling under the yoke of the British Raj. He knew the essence of true love and measured its depth by kissing the gallows for liberating his motherland from the cruel hands of the foreigners.

RAJ BAHADUR YADAV, Fatehabad

Onus on contractors

In his letter, “Concrete roads are durable” (Oct 3), Mr Naresh Kumar says that concrete roads have a life span of 25 years. However, he overlooks the attitude of contractors who build these roads. These contractors, in collusion with the engineers, use lesser quantity of cement than prescribed. The result: the so-called concrete roads are durable only for six months.

Consider the road in Street No. 1 of Amargarh Colony, Kaithal. Here the brick laid portion of the road is a better than the concrete road that was built a few months back which has now given way. This is only the tip of the iceberg. There are so many concrete constructions in Kaithal where concrete roads have given way. Consequently, brick laid roads are cheaper and more durable than concrete roads.

OM PARKASH PANESAR, Kaithal

Friend of animals

October 15 was observed as World Animal Rights Day. The total disregarded for animal rights by the present generation will continue unabated if effective steps are not taken forthwith. The younger generation, if properly educated, can ensure a peaceful environment for animals. The children should be educated to develop the qualities of kindness, love and compassion for all living creatures.

Organisations such as People for Ethical Treatment to Animals and Karuna International are actively engaged in inculcating in young minds compassion through activity-oriented programmes by eminent persons/teachers specifically trained for “human education for youngsters”.

Dr SOSHIL RATTAN, Amritsar

Enhanced DA

The Centre granted the due installment of additional dearness allowance to its employees and pensioners on July 1. Haryana followed suit. However, Punjab is yet to issue orders in this regard. The Punjab government should issue orders granting the installment to its employees and pensioners.

KANWAR SINGH ATREY, Ludhiana

Not a caste In his letter “Of Ahluwalia and Walia” (Sept 25), K.J.S. Ahluwalia has rightly observed that writing Walia instead of Ahluwalia is absurd. However, with due regard for him, I think like Ramgarhia, Ahluwalia, too, is not a caste. Being a native of Ahluwal village (Lahore), lion-hearted Jassa Singh was called Ahluwalia. His caste was Kalal. On assuming the leadership of his late maternal uncle Bagh Singh’s band, he named it Ahluwalia misl. Though of a low caste, Nawab Kapur Singh gave him the steel mace of Guru Gobind Singh and many Sikh chiefs, Raja Amar Singh of Patiala being one of them, considered it an honour to take pahul from him. Another Jassa Singh, a brave warrior and contemporary of Ahluwalia Sardar, was Thoka (carpenter by caste) of Said Beg village (Lahore). When Adina Beg, faujdar of Jalandhar Doab, besieged the Ram Rauni fort in Amritsar, where many Sikhs had taken shelter, Jassa Singh Chokha helped them in their predicament. For this succour, they gave him the said fort. He fortified the same and renamed it Ramgarh. Thenceforth, he was called Jassa Singh Ramgarhia and the confederacy he headed was known as Ramgarhia misl. Now all Sikh carpenters, irrespective of their sub-castes, call themselves Ramgarhias. BHAGWAN SINGH, Qadian