Govt on a PR spree

With reference to ‘Politics & optics of government recruitment’; there is a huge paucity of jobs as the government has failed to deal with the problem. Whenever there is an opportunity, the government does not fail to engage in a PR exercise by propagating it through the media. It’s like making a mountain out of a molehill. It has now become a common practice to distribute appointment letters among job aspirants at a public event. The Uttar Pradesh CM and the Home Minister, who gave away the job letters, seemed to be bestowing a prestigious award. Surely, the top people in governance have better things to do than handing out appointment letters.

Anthony Henriques, Mumbai

Gaining territory at the table

Lt Gen Vinayak Patankar (retd) has written an excellent article, ‘The General who Indianised Army’ (Spectrum, June 22), about my father, Gen SM Shrinagesh. In the book General SM Shrinagesh: Soldier, Scholar, Statesman, written by Brig SK Issar, the foreword by Lt Gen SK Sinha mentions a conference held in Karachi in 1949. The delegations of India and Pakistan were engaged in establishing the Ceasefire Line, later called the LoC, in J&K. After 10 days of heated discussions with the Pakistani delegation, the Gen Shrinagesh-led Indian delegation was successful in securing the 200-square-mile Tilel (Tulail) valley in north Kashmir and including it in Indian territory. Lt Gen Sinha wrote, “It is common for generals to win territory in wars, but it is very uncommon for a general to gain territory at a Conference Table”. My father passed away in 1977. My mother, Raj Kumari Shrinagesh, handed over his manuscript to Brig Issar in 1999. The author compiled it in the form of this book.

Primila Puri, chandigarh

One national language

Hindi is used by the largest number of citizens across the country; no other Indian language has such a huge following. However, it may not be imperative to make it mandatory. Let it remain an option as the third language, along with other Indian languages, in line with provisions of the New Education Policy. Sooner than later, Hindi will find a place in the hearts of the majority of the countrymen. It is prudent to have a common national language so as to enable all Indians, irrespective of their state of origin, to communicate easily and effectively.

Krishan Kant Sood, Nangal

Avoid overcrowding

Refer to ‘Killer stampedes’; mishaps at large-scale congregations has become a frequent occurrence. By the time people stop mourning one tragedy, another takes place. People themselves should avoid attending gatherings where overcrowding is expected. It would be unrealistic to rule out the possibility of such incidents in future too as people will still assemble in huge numbers and such mishaps will happen despite good arrangements. The authorities must take steps to ensure that the number of spectators does not exceed the venue’s capacity.

Yoginder Singhal, Ladwa

Freebies camouflaged as welfare

Apropos of ‘Punjab to raise Rs 8,500-cr loan during July-Sept’; in our federal structure, fiscal failures loom as cash-starved states are raising loan after loan to fund competitive schemes smacking of sheer populism. Freebies are craftily camouflaged as welfare. The situation has come to such a pass that the bulk of their revenue generated goes to pay loans and interest, besides pensions and other liabilities. This puts paralysing constraints on public services and infrastructural growth. It is imperative that the RBI and the Centre regulate state governments to cut their coat according to their cloth.

Lalit Bharadwaj, Panchkula

Rising above hate

Those protesting against the release of Diljit Dosanjh’s film Sardaar Ji 3 must realise that banning the movie will affect its revenue and the taxes to be paid to the government. The film was shot before the Pahalgam terror attack. We are condemning artistes who represent the country on the international stage. Society must rise above hate and let the movie be released on OTT, if not in Indian theatres.

Harsimranvir Singh, Patiala

Letters to the Editor