For veterinary doctors

THE decision of the Punjab government empowering the gram panchayats to mark the attendance of the staff of veterinary hospitals is highly deplorable and degrading for they hold the status of Class I officer (The Tribune, Sept 19). This will definitely lead to frustration among these employees and jeopardise the functioning of the department.

This step of the government is clearly indicative of the lapses and the dereliction of duty at various veterinary institutions. It equally does not speak good of these officers, who are supposed to supervise and ensure smooth functioning of these institutions.

I being in this profession for the past four decades condemn the government decision of giving the power to the panchayats for marking the attendance of the staff of veterinary hospitals. In the same breath I regret the functioning of veterinary institutions and blame those who are entrusted with the job of their smooth and efficient management. I sincerely solicit that the veterinarians should work in accordance with the oath they take, and animal welfare must always come first to them. Then there will be no accusing finger raised towards them.

(DR) SOSHIL RATTAN
Animal production specialist
Amritsar

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Spondylisis & homoeopathy

Sachin Tendulkar is the best batsman in the world today. His health has become a national concern because the spondylisis of his lumber spine is reported to be serious enough to restrict his cricket career.

I have already treated a number of cases of arthritis, cervical spondylisis, lumber spondylisis and general spondylisis with homoeopathy combined with yoga (asanas, to tone up the muscles and meditation, to relax) and supported by allopathy (to keep the pain within tolerable limits).

In fact, homoeopathy has effective medicines for all sorts of aches and pains. Therefore, I am confident that Sachin will also benefit from homoeopathy.

For the past more than three decades I have been doing scientific studies on homoeopathy and have published a book, “Molecular Homoeopathy”. I am confident of the effectiveness of homoeopathic treatment.

R.R. SHARMA
Professor & Head (retd), Biophysics Deptt, PGI
Panchkula

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Entering the political arena

This refers to the write-up “Code of conduct” for Ministers by Mr I.M. Soni (September 25).

It is heartening to note that we still have responsible citizens, though very few, who have the skill to smell the rat and the moral courage to lay bare the facts. It is indeed about the breed of our political leader an elite class the entry to which needs no educational qualification and no formal training.

Sadly, the only two qualitative requirements to become a shrewd political leader are muscle-power and money (white or black). Both are complementary to each other — one begets the other in a jungle where corruption is rampant and goes on unchecked. Several scams involving the high and the mighty have been unearthed — even Prime Ministers are no exception. But it is still to be seen if corruption charges against anyone are established and the guilty suitably punished. At times one wonders whether any law is there for this privileged class.

Is there any responsible body in India which may initiate a process to make at least graduation as the mandatory qualification and a minimum six months training for all those aspiring to enter the political arena? The most urgent need of India today is the building of “national character”.

S. MALHI
Jalandhar

False promises

Our governments, both at the Centre and in the States, have become adept at feeding the public on false promises, false hopes, false resolutions and false manifestos. The sole aim of our political parties is how to gather votes by promising green pastures, while in actual practice they lead us to wastelands by appropriating to themselves all the riches.

Our leaders live in five star culture, spending with their both hands at the tax-payers’ expense, who are being fleeced without showing any mercy. No wonder, our governments die too frequently under the weight of their own sins.

Our bureaucracy, local administrations and civic bodies too have soaked themselves in this hue. They must remember that they can befool all the people for some time but none for all the times.

What will happen if the people come on the street to demand attention, care and justice? It will be a bad day, indeed. But who will share the blame for it? Our Sadar Municipal Council, Ambala Cantt, is second to none in claiming these negative epithets. I wrote numerous letters to the Executive Officer, Sadar Municipal Council, by name to get the floors of my area and the street, which is a thoroughfare, cemented. I also met him personally half a dozen times. The last I met him was in the last week of August when he told me. “Tenders have been floated. Administrative approval received. Financial sanction obtained and work will be done soon after 5-9-99 — election day.”

After that our Municipal Commissioner, Mrs Krishna Kumari Dhiman, visited us in the first week of September and told us that all this is false. The case will have to be initiated now. What a paradox?

May I now request the EO to initiate and expedite things so as to get the work done before November at least. May I also ask why this step-motherly treatment to us?

K.B. SHARMA
Ambala Cantt

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Outlaws and law-makers

When extremists and outlawed outfits can meticulously plant landmines and blow to pieces dozens of police and poll personnel on election duty, something must be seriously wrong with the system. Brutalisation of society and criminalisation of the polity is what sums up life in Bihar, where it is the writ of the private armies that runs.

With an all-round regression of the last decade, private armies have now grown bold enough to float their political organisations and contest elections. Though all political parties may profess their abhorrence of this growing criminalisation of the polity, none would like to lag behind in forming coalitions entering into an alliance or having seat-adjustments with the dreaded Ranvir Sena or the Maoist Communist Centre.

Is it not strange that while a panel of eminent citizens in Bihar identified 72 candidates with criminal antecedents in the last year’s elections, the Election Commission found nothing objectionable “under the law”?

Are we conducting experiments with the reversal of roles — allowing the outlaws to become the makers of law? Do we really have democracy in states like Bihar?

VED GULIANI
Hisar