A ‘pucca Loharia’

The middle “The Lahore magic stays on” by Som Dutt Vasudev (June 6) made me nostalgic. I am a ‘pucca Loharia’, as the phrase goes. I was born in Bedian village of Lahore district in 1940, which is now the first village across the Radcliffe Line on the Pakistan side. The first seven years of my childhood were spent equally in Bedian, which is about 20 km from Lahore, and a small village, Shah Di Khoohi, on the outskirts of Model Town, Lahore. I was fortunate to visit my birthplace in the company of my wife and friends in 2004. Incidentally, Bedian Road is now a flourishing locality of Lahore. The writer has described Lahore as the educational, political and cultural hub of the erstwhile Punjab, which is an understatement. In fact, Lahore in those days was the cultural and fashion capital of the undivided India. I still carry some affectionate and indelible memories of my walks through the bazaars of Lahore holding the hand of my respected father, and of having viewed a movie, “Lal Haveli” in a cinema house. The description of Lahore cannot be complete without mention of Anarkali and the Ravi. The sunrise scene of the Ravi river has been immortalised by Prof Mohan Singh in his couplet: “Sakk maldian Ravi de pattna noo, agg laun Lahoranan challian ne” (in the morning) beauties of Lahore, while embellishing their (beautiful) lips red with the application of walnut bark, congregate towards Ravi as if to set its waters ablaze).

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Beant Singh Bedi, Mohali 

Pre-Partition days

“The Lahore magic stays on” is reminiscent of the good old days of undivided India. Rawalpindi was another city with its own charm, where people of all communities lived in harmony till bad blood started flowing in the veins of social structure. During the worst times, the members from different community used to guard the West Ridge Colony from barbarian attacks. The students, on way to school, had fun in front of the railway station. There was a Queen's Garden (now Liaqat Ali Garden) where we tasted various seasonal fruits. Rawalpindi was also a hub of knowledge with hockey as the prime game. Taxila and Gurdwara Punja Sahib, on way to Abbottabad, were not too far. I cherish those memories even now. But it is all a dream now, with no hope to realise.

S KUMAR, Panchkula

The Lahore nostalgia 

My father cried throughout his life, till his death, that the people who were uprooted from that part of India (now Pakistan) can never forget their birthplaces and where they were brought up. Som Dutt Vasudev has narrated the topography of Lahore so well that anybody associated with Lahore can see every street, bazaar, educational institution just by closing their eyes. Among the educational institutions, Dyal Singh College & FC College were prominent. Some Pakistanis who visit Chandigarh for watching cricket matches or to sell their products in various exhibitions exchange similar views about their elders: that they also still yearn for this part of India. May the Lahore magic create confidence among the people of both sides to learn to live in harmony.

Baljit Singh, Chandigarh

Cultural capital

The middle “The Lahore magic stays on” awoke magical memories about the cultural capital of undivided Punjab. So many of our elders, who migrated from the other side of Wagah, passed away, pining for the grand city. It’s really tragic that Lahore was lost as there were few capable leaders of the region who could take up its cause. Those who were at the helm of affairs at the Centre failed to gauge the enormous significance the city held for the people of the east Punjab. The write-up was no less than a kaleidoscope of colurful images when life followed a leisurely pace and there was exceptional communal harmony. We miss that true spirit of Punjabiat even today. 

Balwinder Khaira, Nabha

Akbar’s quatrain

In the letter “Must the veil stay” (May 25), TC Chopra has incorrectly quoted Akbar Illahabadi's quatrain. It actually reads as follows: Be-parda kal jo aa'eem nazar chand beebiyaan/Akbar Zamin mein ghairat-e-quami sey gad gaya/ Poochha jo unsey aap ka parda voh kya hua/Kiahney lageen ke agl pe mardon kee pad gaya. A poet thinks hard to express himself with imaginative power and beauty of thought and uses the best words in the best order in his verses. While quoting couplets, care should be taken that their meter is not disturbed. I quote another verse of the said poet about the veil: Hasrat bahut taraqqi-e-dukhtar kee thee unhein/Pardda jo uth gaya to voh aakhir nikal ga’ee (The parent's strong desire for their daughter's social advancement, at last, stood satisfied, when she discarded the veil)

BHAGWAN SINGH, Qadian (Gurdaspur)

Ban phones in temples

This is with reference to the middle “Rickety knees” by Col IPS Kohli (June 10). Attending phone calls in gurdwaras is certainly unethical and tantamounts to disrespect of the proceedings in progress. Devotees must ensure their phones are switched off or put on silence mode before stepping in the Darbar Hall. Gurdwara managements must display notice to this effect.

SS Arora, Mohali

Thermal power 

Apropos the news item referring to the augmentation of thermal power generation in Haryana (June 10), a policy review is warranted. The Government of Haryana has systematically shut down its thermal power stations in the state. Inferior turbines from China, inefficient management and low plant load factors were the principal reasons of expensive thermal power. This has resulted in a colossal loss of investment in the thermal power sector. Now Haryana is purchasing most of its power requirements from private producers in other states. Thus, the entire thermal power generation infrastructure in the state has been weakened and made redundant on the plea of cheaper power from external sources. The state government could hand over its thermal power stations to private companies who can run these plants more efficiently.

ANIL JAIN, Ambala Cantt

Delink service time

This refers to the news items that the central government has delinked the service requirement of 33 years for grant of full pension, which had been upheld by the Supreme Court (April 12, May 2). The pension benefits of the retired employees of the HP Government are also linked to the central pension rules. So, the HP Government should issue orders to give the same benefits its retirees who have served less than 33 years and bring them on a par with post- 206 pensioners. 

Santosh Kumari, Anji (Solan)

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