M A I L B A G

Varsity hasn’t changed in four decades!

In his front-page editorial, “Carry on Professor: The nation will be with you” (Jan 1), H.K. Dua made a courageous and critical analysis of the state of affairs in Lucknow University. I am reminded of my stint as a Research Fellow in Lucknow’s Central Drug Research Institute (a CSIR laboratory) during 1964-69.

At that time, I was witness to pitched battles between the university’s students’ union leaders and the state police during the union elections. Students were injured and valuable university property was destroyed. This was a regular annual feature. Politicians of all parties used to pump in funds and muscle power liberally to various factions of the students.

Only those students who had a track record of criminal activity were sponsored for presidency and other posts of the students’ union. It looked as if the Assembly elections were being fought where active participation of known criminals and tainted persons along with others was a conspicuous feature. Not surprisingly, there are more than a hundred criminals who are lawmakers in the state today.

Vice-Chancellor R.P. Singh’s tough stand to bring in reforms in the muddied electoral system in his university is most laudable. It’s shameful that Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, not known for clean politics, had the temerity to oppose the reform system tooth and nail.

In fact, in UP, students’ unions have become factories where gullible students are brainwashed, nurtured and nourished into young criminals and later given tickets to fight Assembly and parliamentary elections. Hope some sane persons will try to stem the rot.

Dr I.S. KALRA,Ludhiana

II

Prof R. P. Singh had the guts to do what he did because he is neither a light weight academic nor a time-serving opportunist who has just grabbed the chair through a back door. The brave man deserves all-out support from every quarter.

But then, the question arises: who will come forward with the type of support he needs? Only a few fearless right-thinking people at best. And, of course, the media that has recently been the most vocal supporter of every just cause.

NIDHI MALHOTRA Lecturer in English, IB College, Panipat

Pensioners’ plea

Almost two decades ago, the Third Punjab Pay Commission had recommended old age allowance for octogenarian pensioners. However, it has not been implemented so far. The Punjab government should give this concession to them as it does not involve huge financial implication. Hardly five per cent of pensioners survive for a short period beyond the age of 80 years.

YASH PAUL GHAI, Ludhiana

Tax on transactions

I read the editorial “Phasing out CST” (Jan 6). The actual position is that the CST Act authorises the state concerned to levy tax on all inter-state transactions of taxable goods originating from that state and appropriate the proceeds. However, the editorial gives an impression that the proceeds are
distributed among the two states involved in the transaction, one exporting the goods and the other importing those goods.

Though Parliament enacted this Act, the state collects and appropriates the proceeds from which the movement of goods starts. It is only the collection of tax from the Union Territories that goes to the Centre’s coffers.

The Union Government has no control over the collections made by the states except that Parliament fixes the rate of tax on the transactions made between two registered dealers.

K.S.ARORA, Additional Excise & Taxation Commissioner (retd), Panchkula