Mailbag

Ending copying menace

Sir,

I will say it proudly that the Board authorities have taken strong measures to curb the menacing spread of copying at various examination centres. I appreciate the role of the Board officials who have done their duty honestly and fearlessly in the Hr. Sec. Part-II bi-annual examination, 1999. They have proved that some of the examination Superintendents as well as the invigilators are mainly responsible for allowing the candidates to use unfair means in the examination. They can go to any extent for the sake of money and to gain cheap and temporary popularity. I have heard many superintendents and invigilators saying proudly that they are much better than the honest men who get nothing except humiliation, mocks and taunts from the examinees whom they prevent from copying at the examination centres.

The Superintendents and Dy. Superintendents are appointed to conduct the examinations of the Hr. Sec. Part II and 10th class either by the Board authorities or by the CEOs of the concerned districts. The Heads of the educational institutions are asked only to send the names of the willing officials. Hence I do not blame them. The Board and the Chief Education Officers are to be blamed for knowingly appointing the same persons again and again to conduct the annual examination of the above mentioned classes. So far as the question of the appointments of the Superintendents in the bi-annual examinations is concerned, I blame the Heads of the educational institutions. As some Superintendents know the art of robbing the examinees of their money, they also appoint some such invigilators who work more intelligently and wisely even than them. That is why they do not and will not want to deprive themselves of wealth, by ending this evil of copying. So none but the Board and the honest teachers can teach them a lesson.

In my opinion, the best measure which the Board authorities should take to curb the evil of copying at different centres, is to send the members of the flying squads with the instructions to remain there for a full period. In their presence, the invigilators will not dare to dictate and succeed in helping their own candidates by providing them printed or hand written material. This is the best method which some of the bold and fearless officers of the Board have used and found it efficacious. The sooner the Board authorities take this decision, the better it is.

Yours etc..
J S Rasik
Rehari Colony,
Jammu.

Preach harmony, not intolerance

Sir,

Recently the Pope has called for stepping up conversion in Asia. The Pope said that religious conversion is a human right. ''Just as the first millennium saw the cross firmly planted in the soil of Europe, and the second in that of America and Africa, so may the third Christian millennium witness a great harvest of faith on this vast and vital continent,'' the Pope said. The Pope said the Church acknowledged what was true and holy in such religious as Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam, but only Christ offered the way to ultimate salvation.

The advent of Christianity in Europe, America, Australia, and large parts of Africa and the Pacific led to the systematic and complete elimination of the pre-Christian polytheistic religions and cultures. Truly, the bible was exchanged for the native lands with the help of the gun.

Coming from Pope, the highest official of Catholicdom, this call to conversion is a Declaration of War against Asian culture, Asian religions and Asian society in general, and Hinduism in particular.

While attending an inter-faith meeting, the Pope talked about dialogue, understanding, and solidarity between religions. The next day he reverted back to his insistence on Christianity as the only true religion, and gave a call to convert Asia. This is hypocrisy and duplicity at its worst.

The Western press is not playing a positive role in this whole episode. Invariably, the reports from the Associated Press and Reuters suffix the word ''hardline'' or ''zealot'' when describing Hindus groups which are resisting the Pope's attempts to take over their religion. Pray tell, shouldn't the party that says ''only my way is correct'' be described as hardline, zealots and fascists? Instead, Hindus who are ready to co-exist with others without being gobbled up by others- are maligned.

In fact any group which claims exclusivity and believes that all others are wrong, and which on top actively tries to eliminate the other groups forefeits its claims to any special rights, privileges or tolerance from others.

The dire need of the hour is religious tolerance and co-existence. The religions may continue to believe in themselves, but they should not seek to destroy others. Any organized offensive on a religion will invite doom for everybody.

We all must realize that God is too big to fit into one religion.

Yours etc...
Mac Kher
1704 Clearwater Avenue,#1
Bloomington IL
USA 61704
mmkher@aol.com

Vegetarian economy

Sir,

The holy navratras were observed from 10th to 18th Oct. i.e immediately before Dussehra. Many people were on fast or fruit-diet, what to speak of eggs & meat ! The million-dollar question is if non-veg. food is bad for health during these days, how it's not harmful for rest of the year! According to the famous health magazine ''Lenset'', the history of dreaded diseases like Cancer, Aids, Epilepsy etc reveals that earlier their viruses were found only in animals but got transmitted first into the liver & then to whole body of humans when they have their flesh. To the toddlers and children, eggs and meat should not be given even by mistake as the have very tender digestive system. The magazine further published a data that in Britain & Norway more people report sick in the season when green vegetables are less in the supply and they have to depend more on pork, mutton, beef etc to sataite their hunger!

Actually, by resorting to non-veg. foods, we are weakening our Indian economy also. American researchers Dullen & Durking have found out that to produce 1 kg. of beef, the cow has to be fed 10 kg of cereals, 600 litres of water alongwith an energy consumption of 4 litres petrol. The pigs, chickens etc being fed in the poultry farms etc all over the world do consume 42 percent of the total produce while as many as 19 percent humans remain without food & 27 percent of them have no access to the pure drinking water! They further conclude that because of lack of purchasing power or money, most of these people belong to the poor, oppressed i.e Dalit sections of the society. In fact, the farms make extensive use of machines, technology instead of manual labour thereby leaving no scope for employment etc of these people and thus pushing them into the vicious circle of poverty, starvation generation after generation. The need of the hour is to realise this gameplan and promote vigorously the vegetarian economy of India in honour of our ancient culture, philosophy and value-systems. Only then the ''dridra narayan'' of India will have economic prosperity!

Yours etc...
Anupam
65, Chitra Vihar, Delhi-92