Pleading for poll reforms

“POLL reforms urgently needed” (The Tribune, August 28) by Mr Arvind Bhandari focuses attention, albeit for the nth time, on a vital issue hanging fire since long.

I agree with Mr Bhandari that several urgently needed electoral reforms are overdue. However, I do not share the view that what is actually called for is a wide-ranging debate on the subject in a bid to arrive at a national consensus. To my mind, the matter has already been discussed/debated threadbare all over these years, as a result of which there is a virtual consensus on many points.

It is a woeful lack of political will which seems posing a hitch in implementing even the agreed electoral reforms. Surprisingly enough, even those electoral reforms which are absolutely non-controversial and which have no financial implications at all remain pending virtually unbothered. For example, mandatory rotation of reserved parliamentary/assembly constituencies after a specified period.

Incredibly, some assembly constituencies — the Gagret Assembly constituency of Himachal Pradesh, for example — continue to fall under the reserved category ever since they were carved out decades ago.

There are hardly any hopeful signs on the country’s horizon to warrant optimism in the matter. How sad!

TARA CHAND
Ambota (Una)

Ignoring Ayurveda

We, in India, have suffered under British rule for a very long period in the past. Now it’s more than half a century since we regained Independence. However, English still dominates us to a very large extent in all spheres. Today also an English-speaking person is looked upon with regard vis-a-vis his Hindi-speaking counterpart. Hello and hi are the inthing, and “namaskar” old-fashioned.

The bias in behaviour towards English surprisingly is also witnessed in the field of medicine. We have, broadly speaking, two distinct streams of medicine: the English system, popularly known as the allopathy, and the Indian system of medicine, which includes Ayurveda, homoeopathy, Unani and Sidha (more popular in the southern states). The inclination is also apparent in the policies of the government. Not going too far, in our own City Beautiful, while we have 40-plus dispensaries for the allopathic system, there are not even 10 for the Indian system, and these too are not fully staffed. We have three large hospitals (the PGI, General Hospital, Sector 16, and General Hospital, Sector 32), a Government Medical College and a postgraduate medical college for the allopathic system as against only two small private colleges for the Indian system, and no government hospital facilities. Similar is the state of affairs in the neighbouring state of Punjab.

The efforts of the comparatively newer states of Himachal Pradesh and Haryana in this regard are noteworthy. They deserve applause for the efforts made towards the upliftment of Ayurveda. The Chandigarh Administration should now wake up and do something. A humble beginning can be setting up a separate directorate for the Indian system of medicine.

ALOK KRISHAN
Chandigarh

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Professional courses

The verdict given by the Supreme Court recently regarding the criteria for admission to super speciality courses in medical and engineering colleges is a welcome development.

Now, as per the judgement, merit and merit alone will be the criteria for admission to various super speciality courses in medical and engineering colleges. This development is of great significance as it is directly linked with producing high calibre well-trained professionals for the benefit of the public in today’s competitive world. After all, how come a candidate (reserved category) having 20 per cent qualifying marks compete and equate with that of the general category candidate having secured 45 per cent qualifying marks.

As Herbert Samuel says, “Equality of opportunity is an equal opportunity to prove unequal talents” and this fits in with the crucial verdict of the apex court.

It will be in the larger interest of the public as also the nation if the verdict is also made applicable at the entry level for medical, engineering and other premium professional courses.

SANJAY KHURANA
Chandigarh

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Teachers’ selection

Apropos of the letter of Mr Karamjit Singh published in The Tribune on August 26, I may point out that the Supreme Court had neither found any fault with the merit of the selected teachers nor did it comment adversely on the fairness of the selection process. Yes, there was an administrative lapse, a technical lacunae of not correctly advertising the posts of teachers at the time of their recruitment, and this formed the basis of adverse judgement of the apex court.

These teachers and their families had to undergo untold misery and countless hardships on account of this rectifiable lapse on the part of the government. There was absolutely no fault of these sacked teachers. The accusation that money changed hands in their selection is baseless, defamatory and libellous.

The Supreme Court never termed the selection of these teachers as “illegal” as the letter writer has alleged. Since the government has rectified its error as directed by the court itself, the reappointment of these teachers is perfectly valid.

As the appointments are being made under the directions of the High Court, there is no question of violation of the model code of conduct prescribed by the Election Commission. Can the orders of the High Court be kept in abeyance in view of the continuing election process?

A vast majority of the people in general and the employees in particular have welcomed the verdict of the High Court.

BALDEEP SINGH
Bondli (Samrala)

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Tainted must be punished

The crucial time for a public mandate for a stable democratic government is fast approaching through the 13th Lok Sabha elections spread over a period of one month. This is the third general election in quick succession during the last about three years, and it is at a very heavy cost to the country.

The Army has fought an unprovoked Kargil aggression at a heavy cost to protect the borders of the country. Now it is the duty of each and every voter to understand the value of his/her right, a privilege and a duty to cast his/her vote without fail by discarding all the tainted persons in the electoral fray. The failure to cast one’s vote amounts to neglecting one’s duty as a voter. The voters should take their duty seriously.

B.L. BANSAL and ONKAR CHAND
Chandigarh