The Hindu : New Delhi News : Beyond blasts

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Monday, Oct 13, 2008
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New Delhi

Beyond blasts - Reader's Mail

It’s that time of the year when the Capital sways to the mood of opulent festivities. Not this year, though. The gatherings at the Ramlilas and other celebrations have been dwindling. It’s a national shame that acts of terror have made inroads into our psyche in such a way that we have started accepting bomb blasts as a part of our life.

Time and again, it’s the same story. We crib about innocent lives being lost and condemn such acts in the media for a week or so. Our attitude towards anti-social elements, however, remains unchanged.

Instead of becoming a participant in the blame game, we should help the Government by actively participating in constructive initiatives by residents’ welfare associations and non-government associations. As responsible citizens, we must do our bit. Vipul Kumar,

10, Nav Vikas Apartments, Sector 15, Rohini, New Delhi.

Back to Banaras

With reference to the letter in these columns this past Monday about Banaras Hindu University, I would like to share my own experience with your readers.

I visited BHU last year as president of the JNU Teachers’ Association. Not only is the student union banned there, even teachers’ association is not allowed. The teachers talked about it, requested us to talk to the University Grants Commission and the Union Human Resource Development Ministry in New Delhi, but refused to come out into the open. Such was their sense of fear that no written representation came forward. In spite of that, we at the JNU and the Federation of Confederations of University Teachers’ Association gave in writing to the Ministry to instruct the BHU administration to allow an association of teachers. A year has passed, but no action has been taken despite BHU being a Central university.

Another incident points towards the state of affairs the university is in. One student group invited me to speak on the great martyr Bhagat Singh in the context of his birth centenary. Prior permission obtained from a dean to hold the programme was cancelled shortly before the scheduled hour. The Head of the Hindi Department helped out the students by allowing the programme to be held in his department’s hall, which was overcrowded. I was told that during the NDA regime at the Centre a programme in memory of Jawaharlal Nehru was not allowed by the BHU authorities. The HRD Ministry should direct the BHU Vice-Chancellor to restore the functioning of democratic bodies in the university.

Student union elections have also not taken place in Punjabi University, Patiala, and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, since Operation Bluestar of 1984 in Amritsar. Punjabi University has not held elections for the teachers’ association for the last five years as well. The UGC should come out with common guidelines in this regard for all universities to strictly follow.

Professor Chaman Lal,

Chairperson, Centre of Indian Languages, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi – 110 067.

Haryana calling

The official website of Haryana Police, under the heading “How to report a crime”, says that if anyone wants to lodge an FIR or report a crime, he/she has to approach the police station under whose jurisdiction the crime has been committed. Although it appears logical, insistence on approaching that very police station goes against a Supreme Court verdict delivered in October 1999 (Satvinder Kaur vs. State of Delhi) wherein the Court had ruled that there is no bar on lodging an FIR at a different police station even if the incident took place at a place not under its territorial jurisdiction. The same ruling has been reiterated in various subsequent verdicts of the Supreme Court.

It is supposed that in such cases, after conducting preliminary investigation, the officer in charge of the police station would get the case transferred to the police station under whose jurisdiction the crime has been committed.

I request the Director-General of Haryana Police to order incorporation of suitable amendment into the guidelines related to lodging of an FIR on the official website of the force to prevent any discomfort to victims/informants of crime. Hemant Kumar,

Advocate, 414, Sector 7, Urban Estate, Ambala City, Haryana.

A menace

The area in front of INS Building adjacent to Shram Shakti Bhavan on Rafi Marg in the Capital is a menace for pedestrians. At any given point of time one can find 30 to 40 vehicles parked along the footpath in front of the building, obstructing the pedestrians’ way. Apparently only labelled vehicles are allowed inside the building and visitors need to park their vehicles outside. In the process, they end up consuming all the space outside the building and also encroaching upon the footpath, compelling pedestrians to walk on the road, which is quite unsafe.

The traffic signal on the road also goes out of order quite often, allowing vehicles to drive at full speed without bothering about the people crossing the road on foot. I feel the INS authorities in consultation with the NDMC should make their own parking arrangements and in turn let pedestrians enjoy their right to use the footpath.

M. Seshu,

Ministry of Labour & Employment, Shram Shakti Bhavan, Rafi Marg, New Delhi – 110 001.

Hello, BSNL…..

I surrendered my CellOne post-paid SIM (No. 89916-25016-11207-7841) bearing the mobile phone number 9419010661 on April 1 this year under file No. 5591. I was supposed to get back the security deposit of Rs.1,000. The BSNL authorities told me that they would send me the amount by cheque once the formalities were completed, which might take a maximum of two months, for BSNL Jammu and Kashmir Circle has its head office in Chandigarh.

I have been running around the BSNL offices ever since the two-month period got over, but in vain. I now urge the higher authorities to address my problem soonest. S. L. Kamkhohao,

Enrol 13/06, Room 307, Chenab Hostel, NIT Hazratbal, Srinagar, J&K – 190 006.

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