Brutal attack on teachers

  THE unprovoked brutal police attack on a peaceful demonstration by college and university teachers on March 12 is indicative of the growing inhumanity of the police administration. Around 3000 teachers marched from the parade ground towards the Vidhan Sabha building and were stopped at the intersection of Sectors 9, 10, 16 & 17.

The leaders of the teachers told the police officers present that they wanted to draw the attention of the Punjab government towards their demands, and desired to court arrest by violating prohibitory orders. They requested them to arrest them as they crossed the barrier. But the police appeared to be determined to teach them a lesson rather than allow them to exercise their democratic right to protest peacefully.

In no time water cannons and tear gas shells were fired at the peaceful demonstrators and then followed a brutal lathi charge on them. Even women and old men were not spared. The police chased them and rained not only lathi blows but also choicest abuses on them. A number of media men recorded this barbarous episode. Even media men were seen being manhandled by the police.

One wonders whether the nation is heading towards lawlessness by the very agency supposed to maintain law and order. Certain questions that arise in one’s mind are like these. Do people have a right to voice their protest peacefully? Do people have the right to be treated as human beings? Do they have any dignity? From what the police did to the teachers at Chandigarh on March 12 the answer to the above questions is a big no.

I am afraid the trampling underfoot of the democratic rights of the people, which is a serious violation of human rights, does not augur well for the nation. The least that needs to be done is to bring to book the police officers responsible for this unlawful and barbaric conduct.

(Prof.) I. S. SALUJA
Ludhiana

Avoidable harassment

The Chandigarh Housing Board has spent a huge amount on the construction of the Modern Housing Complex at Manimajra. About 6000 flats divided into categories, I, II, III and IV have been provided in this complex. But there is no counter for the collection of monthly instalments either by the CHB or any authorised bank at the premises of the complex.

All the owners of the flats have to rush to the branches of the authorised banks situated in various sectors in Chandigarh for this purpose, which means a lot of inconvenience. This is a kind of avoidable harassment.

VINOD JAIDKA
Panchkula

* * * *

The nation-builder

Teacher!
You are the nation-builder,
The torch-bearer
The mind-trainer,
A guide, a philosopher.
Yes this is how
They praise you, adore you.
(On Teacher’s Day only)
Yes, many a good name
They give you
And hang you!
The men
Whom you trained to think
Think not of you;
Whom you empowered,
Use the power against you;
Whom you enabled to earn
Their bread,
Starve you,
Nay, Lathi-charge you,
And put you in the cells
Where you’re “killed”
By those you taught to “live”
And all this, in Punjab!
The abode of Gurus,
The most prosperous state
of the country,
Lagging
behind U.P. and Bihar.
Is this the freedom?
Is this democracy?
Is this peace?
We have in Punjab?
Let’s warn the heads
Unhinged by power
Act not like mad elephants
Try not to crample “The patient”
An ant can cause the fall;
The pen is mightier than the sword;
The brain is mightier than the brawn,
These are the truths
They must know,
To the PEN
The sceptre must bow.

N.K. OBEROI
Deptt of English, DAV College,
Amritsar