M A I L B A G

DC makes a difference

This refers to Reeta Sharma’s “He’s made a difference to Nawanshahr (Saturday Extra, Feb 3). The Deputy Commissioner of Nawanshahr district (the hub of Doaba region), Mr Krishan Kumar, is indeed a bureaucrat with a difference. The Suvidha Centre founded by him at the district headquarters, where every inquiry is attended to within minutes, has become a model not only in Punjab but for the entire country to emulate.

Decadence, visible in every direction, has created a debilitating impact. Non-performing babudom is ruling the roost but with his innovative approach, Krishan Kumar has streamlined and computerised the whole system. While a majority of our stiff-necked bureaucrats and other officials remain procedure-centric and indifferent to people’s grievances, visionaries like Krishan Kumar have created a citizen-friendly administration. To effectively check incidence of female foeticide and to make girls computer savvy, positive steps have been taken. The tribe of such committed, dynamic and honest officers should increase for the prosperity of our country.

L. K. MANUJA, Nahan

PURAN SINGH,Chandigarh 

Munir Niazi was a unique writer This refers to Kashmiri Lal Zakir’s write-up “Restless man of letters” (Spectrum, Jan 28).Munir Niazi was a unique poet. It will not be a hyperbole to quote Allama Iqbal’s couplet Hazaaron saal nargis apni be-noori pe roti hai/ Bari mushkil sey hota hai chaman mein deeda-var paida about him. He was born in Hardo Khanpur (Hoshiarpur-Punjab). He migrated to Pakistan in 1947. But he did not feel at home there. He said: Mushkil hua hai raihna hamein is diyaar mein/ Barson yahaan rahey hain ye apna nahin hua (diyaar: country). Likewise another verse Aadat hee bana lee hai tum ney to Munir apni/ Jis shaihr mein bhee raihna uktaaey huey raihna shows that he remained restless and ill at ease in the environments of every city there. He vehemently loved his native place and Indian friends. His poem Ai Khanpur, ai Khanpur beautifully reflects his nostalgic emotions. He wrote poetry in traditional metres. But his style was nonpareil and none of the contemporary poets could emulate it. Couched in simple and straightforward language, his verses are replete with literary grace, poetic excellence and artistic reality and make immediate impact on the minds of readers and listeners. In every mushaairah he brought down the house and in every conversation his verses elicited tumultuous applause. His ghazal with the exordium Ashk-e- ravaan kee naihr hai aur ham hain dosto/Us be-vafa ka shaihr hai aur ham hain dosto, sung by Naseem Begum for Pakistani film Shaheed throws the audience into ecstasy. A couple of years ago, a visitor from Pakistan told me that humility was the hallmark of Munir. The affable poet was neither loquacious nor ravenous for praise, remained aloof from jamborees and loathed schadenfreude and had a keen sense of self-respect and dignity. According to him, he was a kul-vaqti (whole-time) poet like Qateel Shifaai. However, he could not tell me whether or not he was a staunch lover of the Daughter of Vine like Faiz and Faraaz. BHAGWAN SINGH, Qadian

Musical genius

M.L. Dhawan’s article, “The genius of O.P. Nayyar” (Spectrum, Feb 4, 2007) was interesting when he says, “the departure of Asha followed by Mohd Rafi proved his undoing as he had never been used to summoning Lata, Talat, Mukesh, Manna Dey, Hemant Kumar and Kishore Kumar.”

Here the writer forgot that Mukesh sang a soulful and philosophical number Chal Akela, Chal Akela, Tera Mela Pichhe Chhoota Rahi Chal Akela for the movie Sambandh. O.P. Nayyar was at his best while rendering the music to this song.

RAVINDER JAIN, Ludhiana

Sharing of water

The inter-state decision of distribution of 15.85 MAF surplus Ravi-Beas waters in 1955 was intended to show to the World Bank, making negotiations for the Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan, full utilisation of these waters.

This decision made an allocation of 8 MAF to Rajasthan, a non-riparian state. With the Stage II of the Rajasthan Canal Project having undergone a change, the inter-state decision stands altered automatically.

G.R. KALRA, Chandigarh