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No, Mr. Wilson
In his zeal to defend the controversial admission process at St. Stephen's College, Principal Anil Wilson's letter in these columns ("No, Mr.Thomas", September 26) has once again indulged in washing dirty linen in public. Being an ex-Stephanian myself, I regret the college Principal is involved in a public controversy over admissions.
The current public spat by Mr. Wilson, first with Bishop Karam Masih and later with other Church members, must focus on the principles of merit and transparency in admissions. An analysis of the spate of writ petitions filed by both general and minority community candidates in the Delhi High Court reveals that the majority of them were candidates having above 90 per cent marks in Class XII.
In his letter in these columns the same day, Vinod Chowdhury, Seniormost Reader in Economics at St. Stephen's, has also disclosed that Stephanians (at least in Economics) are falling behind LSR and SRCC in University examinations.
The declining standards in academics and the spate of writ petitions in courts only prove that admissions are no more made on merit but by a process of pick-and-choose through the interview route.
Private institutes running diploma and certificate courses on the St. Stephen's campus are also affecting the college's academic atmosphere. Faculty members of the college have already protested against commercialisation of the St. Stephen's brand.
The college must replace the interview process with a nationally accredited entrance examination and merit marks for transparency in admission. The break-up of the marks obtained in the entrance examination and the interview must be displayed on the college notice board.
This will help in improving academic standards and in fighting the spate of petitions in courts.
The Principal must live up to the established traditions of truth, merit and fairness set by the founding fathers of this 125-year-old institution rather than merely acting as a martyr for secularity in the eyes of the public.
Binu Sharma,
B-5/99, Safdarjung Enclave,
New Delhi - 110 029.
Jungle raj
I am alarmed over huge destruction of the environment going on in Delhi with the blessings of the very authorities who are legally its protectors. Particularly alarming is the fate of 640 hectares of the ridge area falling between Nelson Mandela Marg, Vasant Kunj, Vasant Vihar and Mahipalpur. Huge areas have been auctioned off malls which are being built at a very fast pace.
None of the constructions has the requisite clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment & Forests and the Central Ground Water Authority.
Under the Master Plan, the Delhi Development Authority is required to maintain the ridge in its pristine glory and permit no infringements. But DDA is doing exactly the reverse.
On the other side touching Mahipalpur, the Army authorities are no less eager to seize the day.
They are building a huge housing colony. And they have been doing so with impunity since 1999.
It seems the nexus involves all the top organs of State. It is high time the citizens stood up and did something to stop this brazen annihilation of public land.
Amna Mirza,
M.A (Previous)-Political Science,
Hindu College,
University of Delhi,
Delhi - 110 007.
Two cheers
While on the one hand there is a great deal of fret over the issue of smoking in Bollywood movies, on the other some of our eminent singers through their songs are instigating the masses to gulp alcohol and get intoxicated.
The contemporary song "Peene walon suno...." by the renowned singer Pankaj Udhas from his album "Hasratein" is an appalling case in point. Apart from this particular composition, his other songs too tend to promote alcohol consumption.
Considering the many hazards of alcohol consumption, is it reasonable and justified to compose and sing such songs? No.
Recognition and money should not be taken home at the cost of people's lives.
A ban should be imposed by the Government on such songs that seek to inspire even the non-alcoholics to get inebriated.
Manasi Gupta,
M. Phil. II (Philosophy),
University of Delhi,
Delhi - 110 007.
Not cricket
Emphasis on sex is all-pervasive in a large number of our movies and TV channels to enhance saleability and viewership. Social values be damned. As if this was not enough, now there is sex in sports also.
See any sports page, you will see a woman tennis player generally exposed.
It is as if the photographer was just waiting for that moment to click. Yes, he was. The more raised the skirt, the lower she is bending, the better the take. The poor player, totally engrossed in her game, does not even realise all this. And why should she? Have we fallen to this extent that we do not spare even a sportswoman in our mindless rat race?
We need to curb this unhealthy trend. Let's keep sports above religion, politics--and sex. Then alone can we bring glory to the nation the way Lt.Col. R. S. Rathore and many others have done.
Colonel R. D. Singh,
Commandant, 213 Transit Camp,
Jammu Cantt (J&K).
Forewarned
This past Thursday, October 6, while addressing an election rally in Bihar, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad was shot at. On December 13, 2004, he had been forewarned of such an eventuality.
I had advised him to ensure proper security arrangements in Bihar election rallies through a forecast in Volume 119 of Baba Ji astrological magazine edited by me.
"Future prospects of Ravi Shankar Prasad--In Jupiter main period, sub-period of Mercury will operate up to June 13, 2005, and after that Ketu sub-period will operate up to May 20, 2006.... He should ensure his proper security arrangement during Bihar election rallies," was the forecast published in the magazine released on December 13, 2004. That's the power of planetary movements for you!
Lachhman Das Madan,
Editor, "Baba Ji"
J-7/28 Rajouri Garden,
New Delhi - 110 027.
Not by summits
It is time for Messrs Musharraf and Manmohan to realise that unsuccessful summits every alternate month cannot but be counter-productive.
They just produce disappointment, then disillusionment, and finally hostility.
Their first summit only about a year back was hailed as epoch-making, a historic breakthrough and what not. Where are we now?
Raghu Nath Singh
60, Gopal Bari,
Ajmer Road,
Jaipur.
(Letters for this column may be sent by e-mail to wsins@thehindu.co.in. They must carry the full postal address of the writer and should be marked "Reader's Mail".)
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