L E T T E R S    T O    T H E    E D I T O R

Let’s emulate Chennai experiment

I would like to applaud the effort made by the residents of Chennai in dumping garbage (“Value from waste”, Spectrum, Feb 22), by converting organic waste into manure. With rise in urban and rural population, there has been an acute shortage of dumping grounds for waste products. But techniques like Kambha, a composite bin for organic waste, are revolutionary and eco-friendly.

Many other eco-friendly techniques like solar lights, heaters and cookers, earthern pots for storing water, rainwater harvesting, use of cowdung and tea-leaves as a manure for plants and culture and rearing of earthworms for decomposing organic rubbish to manure are the latest eco-friendly methods.

All these methods will also save water, electricity, space and environment. We must spread environmental awareness to save our planet from destruction.

ANJALI SHARMA, Hamirpur

For sake of honour

Bishnois, no doubt, (“Bishnois, Chand and Fiza”, Saturday Extra, Feb 21) are a Godfearing sect. They are the first to realise the importance of forests and conservation of wildlife.

Bishnois have produced Bhajan Lal, the hero of Haryana politics. His son Chander Mohan, former Deputy Chief Minister of Haryana, has created a sensation by marrying Fiza after converting to Islam.

Khushwant Singh has very rightly pointed out that Fiza, earlier Anuradha Bali, was a criminal lawyer and must have known that bigamy is a criminal offence and that the step taken by them is wrong and not socially acceptable. Even otherwise, I would like to say in such matters only women have to suffer as men get away scotfree.

SUBASH C. TANEJA, Rohtak

Punjabi superstar

In his article “First superstar singer” (Spectrum, Feb 8), M.L. Dhawan has rightly written that Shamshad Begum was Ghulam Haider’s find, who gave her a break in a few Punjabi films.

Later she sang for Naushad, O.P. Nayyar and others. But Dhawan has not made a mention of her Punjabi hits. Most of these in Punjabi films were composed by Hansraj Behl and Sardul Kwatra.

Songs like Ambian de butian te lag gia boor ni and Mul vikda sajan mil jave lai lavan main jind vech ke composed by Behl for the film Bhangra are memorable.

Chali piar di hava mastani, her duet with Asha Bhonsle in Posti, and Kachi Kali si nazuk dil mera, in Koday Shah are Sardul Kwatra’s compositions. Shamshad Begum enriched Hindi and Punjabi films with her sonorous and full throated singing.

KAMLESH UPPAL, Patiala