tribuneindia...Mailbag

THE Sonepat incident of fire leading to many deaths on Divali once again raises the questions which have remained unattended to since the Dabwali fire tragedy of 1995. Our infrastructure management is practically non-existent, though hundreds of state employees draw their salary from this head. The administration must explain why the sale of crackers was allowed in congested areas and so near the high-tension electric wires.

The waywardness and scant respect for law among the business community need no elaboration. It is only after such tragic events in which precious human lives and huge property and commercial infrastructure are lost that the administration wakes up to the need for remedial measures. The government on its part orders an enquiry, or suspends an employee or two (only for a few days/months) and there ends its responsibility.

It is more desirable to immediately suspend the highest functionary responsible for the lack of superintendence; stop his pay and seal all his movable/immovable assets till the investigation is over. If found guilty, all compensation to the kith and kin of the deceased and the wounded should be recovered from his assets.

Our callously high social tolerance is also to blame. We expect every improvement and punishment of the guilty to come from the official initiative. It is the common man who can mould businessmen, which even the stringent laws may fail to achieve. If the people had been wise enough not to enter the premises, which were not safe for the goods kept there, the shopkeepers would have shifted to an open safe place.

But still such time the common man realises his social responsibility, incidents like that of Sonepat will keep recurring. The Dabwali fire incident has not been the last of its kind.

Punjab’s slide into chaos

We need an administration that is geared to meeting the requirements of the 21st century. Unfortunately, the leaders of Punjab have neither the vision nor the ability and honesty to do so. We are lagging in all respects, be it education, employment, or poverty alleviation. Name anything and Punjab seems to be sliding in chaos.

It is, indeed, pitiful that the state has come to such a pass. We need more honest and capable people who can rise up to the occasion instead of the present crop of leadership. Why don’t we get more inspired people to join politics and why has it become the preserve of the corrupt? This is very disturbing.

We can always pinpoint external enemies. But the internal ones, who have betrayed their own people, are those we need to be truly vigilant against.

TEJINDER BRAR
Ohio (USA)

(Received in response to the Internet edition)

My son had three sleeper berths reserved for him and his family in Punjab Mail on 10.11.99 from Ambala Cantt to Bareilly. On boarding the train he found the berths occupied and the compartment overcrowded with unauthorised passengers.

There were about 200 people in a 75-berth coach. No railway staff member or policeman was available to help. The hapless passengers had to sit in the passage area.

Even access to the toilets was not easy. It was their sheer good luck that no physical harm was caused to them.

A few months earlier, I had boarded Shatabdi Express along with my family members at Bangalore for Chennai. While doing so I checked the seat numbers on the ticket kept in my purse. By the time we reached our seats, the purse containing over Rs 10,000 was found missing.

By circumstantial evidence it could be the handiwork of the railways’ own catering staff. When the matter was reported to the Train Superintendent, the purse containing the ticket was restored to me. The money was, however, missing.

Incidents of crime on trains are on the increase. It is high time remedial measures were taken to alleviate the hardships of railway users.

This has reference to the “Home for the aged at Hoshiarpur”, published on September 9. It is a hard fact that the joint family system has practically collapsed in our society and elderly persons are being maltreated in their own homes. To provide a dignified and comfortable living to the elderly, non-government voluntary organisations like Hindu Gau Rakshni Sabha are doing commendable work by opening “Homes for the aged”.

The United Nations declared 1999 as the international year for the elderly. About half a century ago, the average life-span was only 48 years. But in 120 countries today the average life-span has gone beyond 60 years, and after 2025 the average age in these countries would be 73 years.

As per the report of the United Nations, after every 10 persons in the world there is one old person, and after 2050 there would be one old person after every five persons.

With an increase in the population of old persons, there is need to provide them a proper respectable place in society which the homes for the aged alone cannot do. We all must work together to create an environment where elders can have respect in their homes. For this we should take inspiration from our great cultural heritage. Lord Rama set an example by accepting the directive of his father to spent 14 years in exile, and Sarwan moved in the entire country carrying his parents on his shoulders so that they could offer prayers at religious places.

Eminent well-meaning persons and non-government voluntary organisations should organise lectures, etc, so that people can inculcate in them the habit of respecting the elders. We all should try to learn from the rich experience of our elders so that we can live a better life.

Almost every leading daily published recently, many on their front pages, a painful picture of our Prime Minister “flagging off” (whatever that means) a few decked up, with loads of marigolds, trucks that supposedly were carrying relief material for the Orissa flood victims.

I am sure this whole “tamasha” (ferrying Punjab Chief Minister and his “small” entourage to Delhi and back, decorating the trucks and the PM’s security arrangements, etc) must have cost the national exchequer more than the relief sent.

Can’t we stop fishing even in troubled waters? Can’t our newspapers, many of which have already started collecting relief funds as well, desist from publishing the pictures of such publicity-oriented stunts?

	M A I L B A G	Friday, November 19, 1999
weather spotlight today's calendar