Embrace RTI

Apropos the article ‘Faceless donors make democracy a loser’ (February 14), the recent electoral ‘reforms’ announced  in the Budget are hogwash. Reducing the limit of anonymous funds from Rs 20,000 to Rs 2,000 will not decrease the percentage of funds received by parties from unknown sources, which is a whopping 69 per cent as per the latest ADR report. It will merely increase the number of  people on the donor list. As the law of the land stands today, companies donating money to political parties have to enter the amount and the donee party in the profit and loss accounts to receive tax exemptions. But the introduction of electoral bonds will obviate the need to name the party and corresponding donations made as a lump-sum amount will be entered in the account. To  stop  the disguised bullying by the corporate sector, the parties should come under the ambit of the RTI as they receive partial state funding in kind and an election fund could be created under the EC, where all companies  can pool their funds, to be used later for the funding of elections. 

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Jayantvir Singh, Bathinda

Garb of honesty

Politics is a hunger for power and  everyone wants to meet his/her vested interests. Every party is in a race to prove itself honest. But when we see  them from close, a den of corruption emerges. A huge chunk of their  funding resources are still unknown. This is not the story of regional parties alone, but also of national parties like the Congress and the BJP, which is now blowing the bugle of honesty. If it wants to set an example of honesty, it should bring itself and other parties under the ambit of the RTI. Otherwise, honesty is just a garb to grab votes in elections.

RAJAN BATTA, Nabha

A big salute, Shabreena!

Refer to ‘Srinagar woman out to save lives’ (February 13), the young and gritty Shabreena is a symbol of hope in the face of booming guns that can’t deter bravehearts from humanitarian acts of saving lives in the strife-torn state. Shabreena and her team are on a unique mission, which is a tad dicey. Well done, Shabreena, keep up the good work. 

RAMESH K DHIMAN, Chandigarh

Where did we go wrong? 

Depicting 100 years of Punjab, singer Gurdas Mann’s latest song is a tribute to the legendary Bhagat Singh. It is hard to cover every aspect of the state’s history in a seven-minute video. The song somehow shows the sorry state of Punjabis known for their valour and sacrifice. Where did Punjab go wrong? This question stares us in the face as the state has passed through turmoil many times. It flourished with the Green Revolution, but became a bane. Most households are suffering from life-threatening diseases due to the overuse of insecticides and pesticides. We sought solace in religion, but it got mixed with politics. We have to shun this lumpenism. We need to put our youth on the right track, so that their energy and knowledge can be used to uplift the pride and plight of Punjab and Punjabis. It would have been even better if the song was released on the eve of the martyrdom of Shaheed Bhagat Singh.

Jasvinder Singh Humsafar, Ludhiana

Free joyride 

In Punjabi language, we can sum up the Badals’ free helicopter rides as, ‘Lokan da cash te saadi aish’. God willing, I hope they are put on the mat this time around. Let us pray for better leaders in Punjab.

BRIJ GOYAL, Phillaur

Uttarakhand polls

Apropos the Uttarakhand elections, both the BJP and the Congress are fooling voters. In his campaigns, CM Harish Rawat can say anything at all. It doesn’t matter whether the promises can be fulfilled; only votes are a consideration. Rawat claims that he will provide berozgari bhatta, har parivar me ek job. How is it possible? What if a family has no literate member? So stop it, Rawatji.

Deepak chandola Narayan, by mail

Go by BPL status, not caste

The writer is well placed to advocate reservation for all on economic basis because Muslims have been denied reservation (‘RSS and reservation review’, February 13). The writer presents the questions that are agitating the general public, without offering any solution/suggestions. In my view, reservation should be given on the basis of the economic status. Why should it be about religion? Everyone born in India should get it. Muslims living below the poverty line should get it. Similarly, those below the poverty line, but belonging to the so-called upper castes, should also benefit. The criteria must be judiciously decided by a commission. Reservation may be allowed for entry into educational institutions and government jobs, but not for promotion. That creates bad blood among colleagues. Reservation on economic basis will also take care of various agitations taking place on the basis of caste and sub-castes. After this, however, there will be a mad rush to become a BPL member. That has to be managed through good governance.

Darshan Singh Mankotia, Kangra

Blind T20 cup

The Tribune deserves an applause for publishing the photograph of Team India, which has won the T20 Blind Cricket World Cup, on its front page. But the amount of Rs 3 lakh as prize money is not enough. Regular individual cricketers are paid manifold of this prize money. The organisers of this event must consider making the prize money equal to that of standard cricket World Cup.

JAGDISH CHANDER, Jalandhar

The perfect mess 

Sometimes, the government and its agencies forget the art of administration and tend to make heroes out of ciphers. The news item ‘HC allows wife of BSF jawan to meet him’ (February 11) is a case in point. The jawan has been made a hero by the inept handling of the situation by the BSF. He was said to have applied for premature retirement and the administration was quoted to have accepted his resignation w.e.f. January 31. But surprisingly, that did not happen. Contrarily, a cascade of clarifications about food being served and good facilities to the jawans ensued, to the extent that even the Army Chief had to make a statement. It would have been better if his premature retirement request had been accepted and all dues paid to him promptly. Jawans from other battalions should have been invited to see the working of the mess in question and allowed to brief the media. This alone would have put the controversy to rest. 

Kiran Sharma, Sundernagar

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