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Plea to Chief secretary

Sir,

This is with reference to the news item "Labour Deptt notifies citizens charters'' (Daily Excelsior dt. 09-4-2001).

In this connection I would like to request the Chief Secretary of the State to issue necessary instructions to the Labour Commissioner to clarify appropriate Rules and Acts in respect of the following rights of industrial workers.

In respect of "Minimum Wages Act, it is submitted that the poor industrial workers are not aware of this Act and, therefore, the Labour Commissioner may accordingly be advised to specify this act to the benefit of all industrial workers.

In respect of facility of various kinds of leaves to industrial employees, it is submitted that most of the industries grant a total number of 15-leaves to their employees, whether permanent or daily wager, in a calender year in any case, and employees are denied wages for leaves exceeding 15-days in a calender year even if such leaves are caused owing to circumstances beyond their control such as illness, general bandhs, curfew restrictions or any other of civil commotion in the city. Besides the daily wages for weekly off (Sunday etc.) and other holidays/festivals.

Further, as far as Payment of Gratuity Act is concerned, it is submitted that most of the workers don't know how the amount of gratuity is calculated. For instance in my own case, about six years back I was working with one of the reputed industrial establishments of Jammu. One fine day I spoke to my employer for increasing my salary as it was a meagre Rs. 1236/- then. My employer probably offended by my request ordered the security guard that from tomorrow onwards I should not be allowed to enter the factory premises. Next day when I came to attend the office the security guard as directed didn't allow me to enter the factory premises. Then I approached the Asstt. Labour Commissioner (Mr. Jandial) and narrated my story to him. On his intervention the management changed its stance and wrote a letter on my address that I was not attending my duties intentionally and the management had not terminated my services. On receipt of this letter I immediately joined my duties, but by then 2-months had already elapsed. Last year when I desired to take voluntary retirement I was denied gratuity on the ground that since my services had been discontinued for 2 months I was not entitled to gratuity as such. It may be noted that the gratuity rule requires an employee to complete 240 days in five consecutive calender years for being entitled to the same.

I know that what I have mentioned is out of place but it is a must keeping in view the fact that the laws are always titled in favour of the powerful.

The Chief Secretary is, therefore, requested to issue necessary directions to the Labour Commissioner to specify the industrial laws in an appropriate manner so that all workers are benefited by them.

Yours etc..
Sanjeev
New Plots,
Jammu

English paper of X class

Sir,

Having gone through the question papers in English set by the Board for X class examination being held these days, one feels constrained to make certain relevant observation, for the purpose of standardising the level of examination of the subject. The following suggestions are therefore made for the consideration of all concerned.

In the first place, it is axiomatic that the topics of essay writing should be within the ken of the candidates. Topics like 'Winter in Kashmir', 'spring in Kashmir' 'Life of a Kashmiri Farmer', 'A trip to Pahalgam' are outside their experience or observation. It appears that the paper setter is from Kashmir, who does not know that the paper set by him, is meant for children from Jammu.

It has been seen that various topics with which a Jammu child is acquainted, seldom find place in the Question papers. Subjects like 'Bag-e-Bahu', 'Mansar', 'The shrine of Vaishno Devi', 'Summer in Jammu', 'Republic Day Celebration', 'Scene at a Railway Station', 'Some Evils' and the like, are familiar to Jammu children.

Secondly, applied grammar has been committed from the prescribed course and in its place "Essential English Grammar''; by Raymond and Murphy has been prescribed both for IX and X class. This book is only a workbook, which explains some language structures or patterns and not applied grammar as such. For instance, there is no chapter on conversion of narration from Direct to Indirect or vice versa. All about the Rule is to fill up a blank with Say', 'said' or 'tell, 'told'. The important Rules of grammar which help build up the language like Tense, Active and Passive, Transformation of sentences, Conditional Sentence, Verbs followed by prepositions, common errors in the use of various parts of speech, are all missing. If the Board authorities are in favour of continuing the present book "Essentials of Grammar' by Raymond & Murphy, they should also prescribe a suitable book on grammar for high classes.

Thirdly, the present style of testing grammar for which 20 marks are allotted, is haphazard & meaningless. It must be changed and a set of questions on Narration, Tense, Transformation, Punctuation, analysis and synthesis etc. must form the grammar part.

Lastly the prescribed text books for IX & X class have been too long in use and need to be replaced by better ones. In one of the Readers of X class, there are only five poems, out of which four are set in the examination every year. This is really funny. Many decades ago, when we were students, we had both Rapid reading and Intensive reading books with a separate book of poems. It is apparent that our text books in English are far inferior to those prescribed by CBSE and our children are consequently very poor in English.

Yours etc..
P N Raina
Jammu

Incomplete information

Sir,

Kindly refer to an article published in the Sunday magazine of April 1 issue, written by Dr. D C Sharma.

From the write-up, it appears the esteemed author has supplied wrong, incomplete and half cooked information when he was talking about the majestic temple of Mahakali. Almost half of the article is stuffed with irrelevant and false information about Meghas, Gujjars and Bakerwals.

Coming to the history, this esteemed author -Dr. D C Sharma does't seem to know that there existed a genealogy prior to Raja Kirpal Dev and Sangram Dev. Moreover, he must know that Raja Kirpal Dev and Sangram Dev. were not brothers. Kirpal Dev and Azat Dev were two sons of Raja Ajit Dev, who ruled Bahu in 1610 whereas Sangram Dev was the son of Samahai Dev, the Raja of Jammu. Principalities of Bahu and Jammu were divided during the reign of Kapur Dev who had twin sons-Jagdev and Samahal Dev. To prevent any possible feud, the divided Jammu Raj into two principalities thus installed Jagdev as Bahu Raja and Samahal Dev as Raja of Jammu. Even the dates are quite clear. Raja Sangram Dev ruled Jammu from 1594 to 1626 AD where as Raja Kirpal Dev was installed as Raja of Bahu in 1660 AD-that is after 66 years of Raja Sangram Dev, who died in 1627 AD.

It was Raja Hari Dev of Jammu, the grand son of Raja Sangram Dev who was the contemporary of Raja Kirpal Dev of Bahu. Then, there is no information as to who built this temple?. Who renovated it and merely writing that it was build in 8th century, that too is a false information, does't mean anything.

Yours etc...
Tirath Singh Jamwal
168-B- Ramvihar, Janipur
Jammu
 
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