M A I L B A G

Collective shame: so many killed,no one punished

Kuldip Nayar’s description of the gory scenes he saw during his journey from Sialkot to Amritsar on September13, 1947, was heart-rending (Aug.12). It is a collective shame that none was tried even though "ten lakh people were killed and two crore people were uprooted."

Ajai Bhardwaj's documentary "Rabba Hun Kee Kariye" records eyewitness accounts of those crimes and the subsequent fate of criminals involved. It shows where governments failed, God did punish the killers of innocent persons.

It is hypocrisy to demand an apology from the British for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and from the Canadians for the Kama Ghata Maru episode when we have not apologised to the victims of Partition violence. Kuldip Nayar's suggestion that the parliaments of India and Pakistan should pass resolutions of regret should be implemented.

Amarjit Singh, Ludhiana

II

The “inhuman divide” that took place on the midnight of August 14 and 15, 1947, between India and Pakistan was not only geographical or physical but also mental. The catastrophic movement on both sides of the border followed by the divide claimed and affected million lives. It was a nightmare.

The seeds of hatred and jealousy were sown and watered by the political leadership on both sides. Right since Independence both nations have been baying for each other's blood for the tiny state called Jammu and Kashmir. Religious fundamentalists on both sides have kept spreading violence and hatred among the peoples of both nations.

Sukhwinder Singh, Ludhiana

Semester system

Though the government makes tall claims regarding the success of the semester system in Haryana schools, the method of examination is defective. In the first semester only objective type questions are asked.

This does not develop reading, writing and speaking capabilities in students. Rather it adversely affects the studies and curbs original and creative thinking of students. Moreover, this system has increased the dependence on guides and guess papers.

I request the Education Minister of Harana to adopt some remedial measures otherwise the standard of education will further go down.

MADAN GULATI, Karnal

 

Haridwar needs Jagmohan I am a firm believer in the Hindu religion and visit Haridwar frequently. But sadly every visit pains me. There is absolutely no shelter at Har-Ke-Pauri to save pilgrims from the scorching sun and rain. The ladies’ ghat is filled with stagnant and filthy water, thus forcing women to bathe and change clothes before the naked eyes of men. The ghats are literred with rubbish and there is no satisfactory arrangement to remove the waste left by pilgrims. The ghats lack basic amenities like toilets for men and women. About the beggar menace the less said the better. The room for keeping shoes is small and ancient and during the auspicious days pilgrims have to wait and jostle for keeping their shoes. The staff on duty openly demands money. This compels many to hide their shoes in their clothes. The Uttarakhand government should take over the administration of this holy place so as to restore the glory of this sacred place. The example of the Mata Vaishnodevi shrine is for all to see. Haridwar too needs a Jagmohan. ANUPAMA, Chandigarh

Revaluation results

Compartment students who apply for revaluation to Himachal Pradesh University quite often get the result late. They have to appear in the supplementary examination to clear the compartment and till then their results are not declared by the university.

As a matter of fact, the compartment results should invariably be declared before a candidate appears in the supplementary examination otherwise the very purpose of revaluation of the subject is defeated.

VIJAY MOUDGIL, Shamshi (Kulu)

Whose money?

In your well-written editorial (Aug 13) you have asked the right question: "Whose BCCI?" The malady is not only there at the top. Look nearer home. Who has been controlling the Punjab Cricket Association now for decades? And why no alternatives can even be thought of? The big question perhaps is, Whose 'Cricket-money'?

BALVINDER, Chandigarh