Challenges before the UN

THIS refers to Dr Sampooran Singh’s article, “Challenges before the UN”, (Dec 10). As a remedy the article explains a way to realise the ultimate reality, the universal consciousness as fundamental and all phenomenalism as its manifestations. But the thesis is incomplete like Shankara’s Vedanta to solve the problems before the mankind, in the sense that it does not determine the identity of the individual who has a passion for indulgence and supremacy and will to power and domination. This passion of the individual infects his rationalism with irrational tendencies. For the realisation of reality Shankara prescribes as a natural corollary sanyas viz renunciation of both karma and sansar and does not help run the affairs of the world. Similarly, one can agree to this article to the extent what it says and can appreciate it but cannot go ahead with it in the world.

Without taking into consideration the entity of the individual his passion for indulgence and supremacy, and determining his functional role in the collective life, his inter-se relationship with others and his relationship with and his place in the whole in order to reconcile differences, no plan is complete for action.

For any social order of peace and justice, the concepts of both “the whole” and the individual have to be determined in terms of their homogeneity. The modernism has neither the concept of the “the whole” nor of the individual, whereas the present article describes the idea of whole, but lacks in that of the individual.

What the article says in uncommon language — that the theories of natural phenomenon conceived by the classical physicists are the construct of the human mind and therefore are our conceptual map of reality rather than reality — the post modernists say in a simple manner — that the very project of modernity with its trust in truth and reason is faulty. However, the post-modernists are simply sceptical of the supremacy of reason and reject the meta-narratives of progress and enlightenment. Sampooran Singh rightly points out that by splitting reality into subject and object, one cannot grasp the total reality. The whole of the modernists is either majority based or class based and neither covers the total whole. Hence modernism is ever to remain exploitative and terrorist in regard to the others.

S. R. SHARDA
Panchkula

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Public life

The article “Public life: striking example” by Mr Surinder Kumar Singla on December 10 highlighted the role of Marxist leader Harkishen Singh Surjeet and others who worked in the national movement for freedom and who have been working till date. He has rightly mentioned the contributions and commitment to the cause devotedly and selflessly and also leaders like Late Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru who even donated their entire property for the cause of the nation. But he has not mentioned the great quality of Pt. Nehru of respecting dissent which is the backbone of democracy. This was contrary to the habit of present-day leaders who do not tolerate any dissent jeopardising the inner-party democracy. The present-day leaders are in the habit of usurping the entire structure of their respective political parties leading to authoritarianism, contrary to the basic principles of democracy.

In this writeup Mr Singla has rightly reprimanded the present generation of leaders who are devoid of any commitment to the cause.

He has also mentioned that some of the Congress men in his own party supported and abetted terrorism in Punjab. But he has not revealed their names for reasons best known to him.

PREM GUPTA
Patiala

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Privileged class

“The Punjab Government has created a privileged class (Punjab farmers). Who are “downtrodden, economically weak, being in miserable condition”. Thus they are exempted from paying revenue, irrigation water charges and electricity bills for tubewells since 1997. The farmers are given urea on subsidy. Beside, the Punjab Government is trying to get loans advanced by the banks waived upto Rs 10,000. The Punjab Government is paying Rs 2,500 per acre to the farmers whose land falls in the border fenced area. It enhances, and recommends to the Centre to raise, the prices of wheat, paddy cotton, sugarcane, and pulses etc periodically. All such concessions are meant to raise their living standard, and bring them up from poverty line. The only benefit which the government has not viewed yet is free electricity in their houses, which is pinching them as nearly every house maintains television set, refrigerator and other electric appliances.

The privilege class has gone down so low that cannot afford Re 1 per acre half yearly revenue on barron land where cultivation depends on rainfall and Rs 2 per acre on water irrigated land.

The Punjab Government is overburdening the urban masses, specially by enhancing sales tax on diesel, petrol, gold and so many other commodities. Even bus fare is increased.

Lt-Col P. S. SARANG
Chandigarh