Education, business and government

MR Ravi Kalia's two-part article, "Education, business and government." (The Tribune, October 8 and 9) was very informative. Despite the best efforts of the government and non-governmental organisations, many in India are still illiterate, yet there is nothing much to worry about. In the American context, the author states: "In the USA, the richest country in the world, one million youths from 12 to 17 years of age are illiterate — unable to read — as well as the average fourth grader, says a new government report."

Of course, poverty in India is closely related to illiteracy. The programme of adult literacy launched in India a few years ago has not achieved desirable results. While on poll duty in the recently held Lok Sabha elections, I found many electors of even 45 years of age and below who preferred to put thumb impressions instead of signatures. This tells a sad tale of mass illiteracy still prevalent in the country. It means all our efforts to spread literacy were misplaced and have gone waste. The need is to see the ground reality. Thumb impression is a dumb impression. Adult literacy workers must at least make every illiterate person able to sign.

The government's endeavour for the uplift of the poor sections of rural society educationally and economically is no less important. The Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas are new and novel experiments to tap the genuine talent that remains latent in poor rural society. Being economically poor, the products of these vidyalayas end up after the plus two stage. The majority of them cannot afford to go in for college and university education. In this way, the talent that comes out of the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas goes waste.

In modern times, the role of women in our armed forces cannot be underestimated. The Sainik Schools in the country admit only boy students. Some time ago, a former Governor of Himachal Pradesh had emphasised the need for admitting girl students as well in the Sainik Schools. Will the authorities give it a thought and do the needful?

IQBAL SINGH
Bijhari (Hamirpur)

UNHELPFUL SUGGESTIONS: In the first part of his article Prof Ravi Kalia has emphasised the need to review the existing roles performed by the Indian universities, especially that of Panjab University, Chandigarh, in the context of empowering the underprivileged sections of society. But I do not agree with the assumptions and strategies suggested by the scholar for undertaking different types of campaigns to eradicate poverty, illiteracy and many other socio-economic problems as perceived by the poor in the rural and slum areas of Chandigarh.

I doubt that Panjab University can really help the target-group in the manner the scholar has suggested different ways and means to make the deprived functionally literate, skilled and, above all, socially, politically and economically awakened so as to prepare them to actively participate in the different processes of the democratic set-up.

The writer has also overlooked the role of many other existing voluntary and government-sponsored agencies which, in my opinion, can play an effective role in solving the problems of disadvantaged groups provided they improve their functioning, develop in them the sense of duty, devotion, commitment and achievement.

On the other hand, school education and its relevance in empowering the poor have been overlooked, though school education can be used as an important tool in bringing about social change. No doubt, school education in Chandigarh is given top priority and all possible efforts are being made to impart education to the children belonging to all the sections of society, it is usually observed that due to poverty and other pressing problems of the parents their wards have to discontinue their education, which ultimately enhances the number of dropouts.

Obviously, if we are keen enough to visualise the dream of sustained development and empower the disadvantaged and underprivileged sections of society in the city beautiful, the government should initiate concrete steps to streamline and strengthen the functioning of the ongoing programmes of adult education, non-formal education and continuing education. Secondly, the government should also evolve and develop suitable strategies to overcome the ever-increasing problem of migration of illiterate and unskilled labourers so as to improve the deteriorating state of affairs in the labour colonies and slum areas of Chandigarh.

ARUN KUMAR SHARMA
Chandigarh

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Mandate with a message

Mr Hari Jaisingh has stated in his front page editorial, “A mandate with message” (October 8) that the question uppermost in the people’s mind is how stable the arrangement encompassing 24 parties will be. In my opinion people do not have the right to raise such questions, as it is the people who have voted in that pattern. Of course people are not raising these questions. Those doing this are the disgruntled and discredited politicians who were all the time playing the destabilising game. It seems they have not learnt any lesson from this election. They should understand that people have punished them for destabilising a good government without any alternative to offer. This is a very clear message people have given.

The Opposition is well advised to accept people’s mandate with grace and behave in a responsible manner. In a democracy, the Opposition has an important role to play, and can make its own contribution to the nation. We wish the government functions for its full five-year term, as it has come to power through a democratic process involving a huge expenditure and efforts. Only then can major problems like national security, law and order, corruption and poverty be taken up by the government.

ANAND PRAKASH
Panchkula

REAL TASK FOR PM: The election was a battle between democracy and dynasty. The dynasty has been crushed by democracy. Mrs Sonia Gandhi could gift only 112 MPs to the Congress party’s kitty. It reminds me of an Urdu couplet: “Is ghar ko aag lag gai ghar ke chirag se” (This house got burnt by its own kin.)

Mr P.V. Narasimha Rao and Mr Sitaram Kesri were eased out when they brought the Congress down from 232 to 140 and 141 seats. But none of Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s “durbaris” is prepared to tell that she has ruined the 114-year-old party. Nor has she offered to resign. What a sycophancy! What a Julius Caesar-like ambition! Nehru must be shedding tears of blood in high heavens.

For Mr Vajpayee the real task begins now. The primary agenda before him should be tackling poverty, illiteracy, employment, the healthcare problem and the safe drinking water issue. All pomp and pageantry, all extravaganza must go.

S.S.JAIN
Chandigarh

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Disturbing question

Sadly enough, the main political parties—the Congress and the BJP—failed to get a decisive verdict in their favour (“Boost for coalition politics” by Mr S.Sahay, Oct 11). Bluntly speaking, the Congress had virtually committed harakiri when it split just before the the electoral battle. The party ‘s debacle/drubbing at the hustings is not at all unexpected.

The coalition government comprising as many as 24 parties was bound to be unwieldy as it is. Thus, the disturbing question uppermost in the minds of the people is as to how long the conglomeration in question will last, as the article rightly points out.

TARA CHAND
Ambota (Una)