For educational reforms

OUR system of education is defective. It has led to frustration among students, as bookish knowledge is not helpful in developing an integrated personality.

The schools have become commercial shops, where teachers are greedy of tuitions. Surprisingly, the teachers in schools, colleges and universities are not dedicated to their profession.

A voluminous syllabus makes the students cripples. Teachers adopt short-cuts to finish the lengthy syllabus, and consequently education can be said to have been given in hotch-potch conditioning.

Our education system is theoretically oriented and the examination system is oriented to memorisation. There is no arrangement to take care of one’s individuality and sense of creativity. Greater emphasis should be given to vocational training.

There is a total absence of the teachers’ rapport with their students. The education system should be such as helps in developing an integrated personality.

SONALI BHARGAVA
Delhi

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Prisoners as soldiers?

A few days ago there was a media report of a former Captain, undergoing sentence for murder, offering to fight in Kargil. He was reportedly well qualified during his Army service — he had done commando training. This reminds me of a war movie, very popular a few years ago. I saw it again recently on TV.

“The Dirty Dozen” is set during World War II where a special squad is formed of those under sentence.

There are reports of some prisoners having offered to fight in Kargil. There must be many more such individuals who may prefer to die an honourable death — and be free if they survive — rather than rot in prison or be hanged. Such an option should also be open to civilian prisoners who are physically qualified. This would make for a very dedicated lot of soldiers for special and very dangerous missions. This will help them repay for their misdeeds.

It is obvious that such squads must be given due training for their mission and also be commanded by outstanding and brave officers, specially selected for the purpose. If a scheme on these lines had been in existence, such squads could have been employed in the Kargil sector. Even now it is not too late to implement the idea and keep such squads ready for deploying them in environmentally hostile, difficult and dangerous terrain. These squads should be permanently located there. While there is no operation for them, the period would serve as a continuation of their sentences.

There will be doubts expressed and justifiably so that some of them might take this opportunity to run away or create more mischief. This cannot be ruled out, but the scheme is worth the risk.

Brig H. S. SODHI (retd)
Chandigarh

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Bills on average consumption

This refers to the news-item “Power bills on average basis” and “Punjab violating code of conduct” (July 15). The PSEB Engineers Association has been opposed to the practice of issuing of power bills based on an average consumption basis. We know that during the last elections inflated power bills became an issue, and certain political parties in Punjab tried to exploit it.

Whenever meter reading indicates power consumption which is not in consonance with the consumption recorded in the previous year, the person concerned should be issued an interim bill based on average consumption, and the reasons for a low or high consumption should be investigated for the disposal of the case. We know the wayward functioning of the board’s meters/meter readers. They can easily harass or offer bonanza to a consumer by giving a wrong meter reading.

It is the primary responsibility of all those connected with power consumption billing to react with sympathy towards consumer. The reasons for a low/high consumption should be investigated and corrective action initiated without causing harassment to the consumer.

It is surprising why the Engineers Association and CPI leader Satya Pal Dang have come out against issuing power consumption bills on an average consumption basis. The practice is one of the tools of management based on sound logic.

NIRVAIR SINGH
Ex-Member (Power), BBMB
Patiala

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Walking along Tiger Hill

I found Maj-Gen Himmat Singh Gill’s article, “Living with reality in Kargil” (July 14), very interesting, though there are many factual inaccuracies in it. His claim that in 1970-71 he walked along Tiger Hill at Pt 13620, etc, needs to be seen in the light of the fact that during this period Pt 13620 was with Pakistan and strongly held by it.

As regards the Bofors gun, it is wrong to say that it was inducted without sufficient trials. All the guns — Bofors, the Sofma of France, and those of British and Austrian make — were put through one of the most exhaustive trials in desert and high altitude conditions and at the School of Artillery over a long period.

Bofors was considered suitable for mountain formations because of its range and high angle capability. Initially, all the 400 guns were allotted to the mountain formations.

In 1971 there was no intelligence failure. Attacks from Pakistan were expected anytime in the last week of November and the first week of December, 1971, and the troops were placed on high alert. The Pakistan air force attacked Amritsar airfield and not the town. Finally, Siachen is a glacier and not a massif.

Lt-Col Shivinder Singh (retd)
New Delhi

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Empty shells

I feel if the “empty shells” after Operation Vijay are properly polished and auctioned with some suitable inscriptions on them in all the state capitals, the government will have enough funds to look after interests of the families of martyrs and the disabled and injured soldiers. There will be no need to impose a Kargil cess as is being discussed.

JAI PAL BERI
Amritsar