Hockey
blues
`Sir,
For the first time our
country has failed to qualify for even
the semi finals of the Asian games. What
we witnessed at Doha must make us sit and
see the writing on the wall. We have
practically been ousted from the league
of top teams in the world. Now our
position in our own backyard Asia is in
jeopardy.
Once our country was the
super power house of the world. From 1924
to 1960 Rome Olympics the Indian hockey
ruled the world. In London Olympics of
1928 we trounced Britian by a margin of
24 goals, a record that is unparalleled
and unsurpassed. Gone are the days when
our Dian Chands K.D Singh Babu, Ajit Pal
Singh, Ashok Kumar etc rattled the
opposite teams. But now we have been
squarely beaten by China in Doha. The
hockey scene needs a complete overhaul.
We need to take things seriously. Hockey
is our pride. We will have to strain all
our muscles and nerves to regain our
glory in hockey.
Let all people who are
formulating policy sit down and make a
strategy so that better players are given
chance. Let us purge Indian hockey of its
ills.
Yours
etc...
Satvir Singh
Digiana
Jammu
Candid
camera
Sir,
A photograph titled,
''Candid camera (DE, Dec. 9)'' on the
front page revealed a whole story. The
picture was brilliant. It had children
posing for picture. The little charming
children were selling brooms and wipers.
These children had an innocent smile on
their face. But behind that smile was the
tragic story of their life. These
children like may more such children are
earning their daily bread by doing many
odd jobs which they should not be doing
at all in this young age. When they
should be attending school to realise
their dreams, they do make a living to
support themselves and their families. In
an age when we are raising our pitch for
the rights of children this photograph
reveals that all our claims about the
rights of children are hollow.
We are raising slogans and
conducting programmes, organising
seminars against child labour but on the
ground our work is not registered. May be
that there are some exceptions but on the
whole the exploitation of children is
going on with the same regulation as it
ever was. If we are serious about the
rights of children then let us ask
ourselves that what we are doing in this
regard.
Mere slogans won't solve
this problem only a meaningful action
can.
Yours
etc...
Usha Gupta
Trikuta Nagar
Jammu
Autorickshaw
meters
Sir,
A news report titled,
''Surprise checking of auto
riskshaws..... (DE, Dec. 10)'' has
carried the news of surprise check of the
meters of the autorickshaws. The
department of Legal Meteorology deserves
appreciation for its efforts to check the
stamp of their fare meters. This is not
the only problem.
The main problem that the
poor customer faces is the menace of
overcharging. Many rickshaw wallas
overcharge and do not budge an inch from
their quoted fare. Whatever they demand
the poor commutor is forced to pay.
The overcharging is more
regular and grave from places like
railways station, Airport, Busstand,
Hospitals etc. During odd hours the poor
travellers are made to pay through their
nose otherwise the autorickshaw driver do
not move at all. It is requested to the
concerned authorities that the fare
structure already accepted by the
autorickshaws be strictly followed.
The system of prepaid fare
be also introduced so that the scope of
overcharging and bargaining is reduced.
The poor public are at the receiving end
of the overcharging autodrivers. Some
help is due from the authorities in this
regard.
Yours
etc...
Ashaq Hussain
Gujjar Nagar
Jammu
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