Sad development for polity

THE Tribune report captioned “Rebel trio floats Nationalist Congress” (May 28) pinpoints a gloomy development on the country’s horizon. How sad, indeed!

I must hasten to add that I have nothing personal against the “rebel trio” — Mr Sharad Pawar, Mr P.A. Sangma and Mr Tariq Anwar. In fact, all the three eminent ex-Congress leaders are venerable personalities, each in his own right. My only point is that by floating a new political party the “trio” has simply helped make the confusion on the country’s political front worse confounded. After all, who can deny that the multiplicity of political parties/groups is one of the most deadly banes currently afflicting the polity?

The “foreign-origin” issue viz-a-viz which the “trio” suffered explusion from the Congress is shared by several other political parties, including the BJP. The “trio” could well have joined the aforesaid party if they felt so keenly about the matter. By forming a new party the “trio” has virtually committed an unpardonable sin, warranting unforgettable punishment. Shouldn’t the harried public teach the erring leaders an exemplary lesson in the forthcoming electoral battle? That way alone lies the salvation of the country, bluntly speaking.

TARA CHAND
Ambota (Una)

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The gallantry award

It was a furious encounter. Bullets were being exchanged like abuses, freely and fabulously. The dreaded extremists were entrenched in a dry water course and as such were immune from the bullets of the constables. The determined jawans were crawling on the burning ground in the scorching heat of May daringly, undesparintly and perseveringly to get proximity to the target. Regardless of their personal safety, they were advancing in the open ground. They were sweating like race horses, and their eyes were half closed with the dust and smoke of the ammunition fired by them.

A young officer was sipping tea from a cup under a shady banyan tree, intermittently shouting words of “bravado” to the creeping and crawling jawans. Some junior officers were also supporting the jawans.

Then came the moment of climax. The jawans with their deft hands and blood shot eyes liquidated the gang of dreaded gangsters armed with deadly weapons. They charged and silenced the dying demons. They raised the slogans of victory “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”.

One of the junior officers went running to the young commander and with a brisk salute congratulated him on the success. The sky was torn with the slogans raised in praise of the officer “Sahib Bahadur Ki Jai”.

Then came the day of awards. The jawans were awarded commendation certificates with meagre cash rewards, while the officer, who had been enjoying hot tea under a tree, got the much-coveted gallantry award. Hats off to such acts of chivalry and the gallant lords of the land.

JAI DEV SUMAN
Ferozepore Cantt

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Display of insensitivity

This is with reference to a recent news item concerning an ADC Queen competition in Shimla. I would like to say that it is a shame that when our brave soldiers and airmen are fighting it out and dying in Kargil-Dras, the “think-tank” of the Army in Shimla — ARTRAC — is holding such competitions and awarding their own daughters in an outrageous public display of insensitivity.

The Army Commander should be at HQ, 15 Corps, with his “think tank” to contribute to the war effort instead of enjoying at Gaiety Club. No wonder we have intelligence failures under their very nose and are paying for it with the lives of our brave soldiers.

Col R. S BHATIA (retd)
Panchkula

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Dirty politics

Everybody I met here after the recent one-vote defeat of the Vajpayee government on the floor of Parliament complained about the sheer waste of resources by holding another election so soon. Things were improving as far as economy is concerned but these polls have put India one step backward again.

This type of greedy politics has landed us in such a mess that it will take at least a year to recover from this loss of more than Rs 1000 crore and investors’ confidence in the nation. Everybody was angry how the government was brought down by the Congress at such a crucial time when the economy was looking up. The Congress which always has stability as its main electoral promise has lost the moral right to say so after it has destroyed governments after governments in the recent past.

I am not pro-BJP, but I was surprised how the government was brought down by this dirty politics of the Congress.

VIKAS
Helsinki (Finland)
(In response to the Internet edition.)

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One rank, one pension

Kargil and the rest of India are being defended by our defence forces at the highest risk of their lives. The IAF being the last resort, it has been pressed into the service of the nation. The Defence Minister should now rise to the occasion and fulfil his commitment — made at a sacred place, Anandpur Sahib, recently by issuing orders for implementing the decision of one rank one pension, thus boosting the morale of the armed forces. The Prime Minister must intervene in the matter treating it as a special case.

B. R. DHIMAN
Pinjore

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Plastic cover

I want to draw the attention of your readers and publishers of various magazines with plastic covers. Polythene bags are non-bio-degradable. They cause great environmental pollution. Magazines with plastic covers serve no purpose but add to the severity of impending pollution disaster. Magazines boast of improving this world but don’t contribute to this mission. Such magazines can be stapled.

We should boycott magazines with plastic covers.

MANDEEP MITTAL
Bathinda