Awakening in Punjab

Punjabis have done it! They have finally seen through the tricks that the greed-filled and ever-scheming politicians play on them during every election and have refused to be taken for a ride yet again. They have rejected the politics of the past, and with AAP’s Delhi performance in mind, they have voted for the promised honest and pro-people politics. They have furthered the ‘swachh rajneeti abhiyaan’ to check the abuse of democracy. This long-awaited awakening will herald the beginning of a political revolution in the country. The new government is now duty-bound to be the change people have voted for.   

Hira Sharma, by mail

---

Congress history now

The Congress once ruled the country uninterrupted for three decades, and now after losing the state of Punjab, it stands restricted to less than a total of the three states and stands on a par with the AAP in terms of the number of states ruled by it. What to talk of winning, the party seems to be reluctant even in contesting the polls seriously, and is giving in states to ally partners to contest, just as it did it to the AAP in Delhi, TMC in Bengal and RJD in Bihar. The people associated with the party seem to rely on the simple calculation that just as the BJP managed to rise to the magic number, why should it not hope to get to the mark from a number which is more than 22-25 times that. They forget that there have been parties like the Janata party and Janata Dal that once ruled the country and are now nowhere. 

SL Singhal, Noida

---

Victory processions 

Apropos of ‘EC bans victory processions’, the decision must be hailed as processions are not only violative of Covid-safety norms, but also pose a threat to the law and order position in the state. Consumption of liquor is a major charm for supporters of the winning candidates, and often, they indulge in fights with supporters of rival candidates. ‘Pedestrian zones’ is another wise step by the EC.

Upendra Sharma, by mail

---

Model act 

Refer to ‘Cong, SAD bonhomie at display in Gidderbaha’; they have set a decent example of bonhomie by arranging preparation of laddoos at a common place. It will go a long way in creating communal harmony in other areas of Punjab. Seasoned political leaders always have relations of ‘roti-beti’ with one another. However, they create bitterness among the general public during elections. A common man is a soft target of such games. 

Vijaya Sharma, by mail

---

Monster teacher 

In reference to ‘Skewed social mindset’, no matter how much you try to change it, instances still pop up from somewhere. The irony in this case is that the one who claims to educate people is the one who needs to be educated. This crime is a disgrace for the position of a teacher, who is revered in society. Adolescent girls who silently tolerated this monstrosity represent the conservative fashion in which society treats such delicate issues. Let us raise our girls to be bold and free from this deep-rooted regressive mindset.

Ridhi Gupta, Bathinda

---

Perverted mindset 

Apropos of ‘Skewed social mindset’, it is painful to learn that a principal-cum-owner of a private school and his friends have been sexually assaulting students. It is a chilling reminder of how widespread this abuse is in different organisations. The primary reason why they were able to carry on for a such a long time is obviously because of threats of failure in exams and also because girls are taught to suffer in silence due to social stigma. Despite the POCSO Act, lax law enforcement and low importance given to sexual violence as a crime has contributed to the skewed mindset of such men. Had not a social activist reported the matter, the students would have suffered endlessly.  

Chetana Vaishnavi, Panchkula

---

Failed experiment 

Apropos of ‘Medical teaching out of sorts’, medical education has been commercialised and is the net outcome of the short-sighted wrong policies of the past. Things were not always so. I passed pre-medical which used to be a base class to be eligible for MBBS and BDS in 1967. There used to be no entrance exam and no coaching classes. Government Medical College, Patiala, Amritsar and Rohtak, and private institutions Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana, and Christian Medical College were the only medical colleges in joint Punjab. Criteria for admission was simple, based on the marks secured in pre-medical exam. If one didn’t stand anywhere in merit, one could pursue a two-year course of BSc (medical). No one had to run to foreign lands for admission. With passage of time, there started experimentation in curriculum, conduct of exams and criteria for entry in medical colleges, and the outcome is for all to see.

VK ANAND, Chandigarh

---

Letters to the Editor, typed in double space, should not exceed the 200-word limit. These should be cogently written and can be sent by e-mail to: [email protected]