A Legend Bids Adieu To World
BOLLYWOOD legend Dilip Kumar bade adieu to the world on Wednesday at the age of 98. He was last of the golden troika – Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand and Dilip Kumar. Muhammed Yousuf Khan, enthralled Indians for decades with his screen name Dilip Kumar. To generations of filmgoers, he was a ‘tragedy king’ who will be remembered for his portrayal of various characters in classics such as ‘Mughal-e-Azam’, ‘Devdas’, ‘Madhumati’, ‘Naya Daur’, ‘Ram Aur Shyam’ and many others. Dilip Kumar was heavily awarded: he was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 1991 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015. He was also feted with the Dadasaheb Phalke award in 1994. In 1998, he was awarded the Nishan-e-Imtiaz, Pakistan’s highest civilian award. The outstanding Bollywood actor was also a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha for one term. In this saddest moment, my thoughts and prayers are with his family.
BIDYUT K CHATTERJEE, FARIDABAD
Monkeys Are The Menace
I support the view of the farmers that monkeys should be declared as vermin. They eat bananas, papayas, chikoos, mangoes, guavas, almost all fruits. Leave aside fruits, they even eat the tender shoots of plants like papaya. Earlier, our villagers used to grow vegetables. They have given up growing vegetables and fruits because of monkeys, who also break the roof tiles of our houses. In the monsoon, this is a big problem since you don’t find anyone to go up on the slippery roofs to replace the tiles and stop leakages. Monkeys are indeed a menace to the people. They should be declared as vermin and suitable steps taken to keep them happy in the forest which is their abode.
RODNEY DE SOUZA, ASSAGAO
Overhaul PM Relief Fund
THE Prime Minister National Relief Fund was constituted by first prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in 1948 when the Congress was the only dominating political party. The PMNRF therefore had Congress president as a permanent member of the six-member committee. But now the BJP has replaced the Congress as strong ruling party not only at the Centre but in many states also. It becomes a practical necessity that constitution of the PMNRF committee may be suitably revised so that the Congress president may be replaced by Opposition leader in Lok Sabha. The PMNRF panel has space for deputy prime minister, a post not always occupied. Therefore the PMNRF should have a Union minister nominated by the PMNRF chairperson who happens to be Prime Minister.
MADHU AGRAWAL, DELHI
A Soldier Of Solidarity
THE inhumane treatment of Father Stan Swamy by the system is most unfortunate and very chilling. It is unbecoming of any sensible system that an 84-year-old man of God and crusader of tribal rights was subjected to inhumane treatment. The judiciary, which is a pillar of hope, sadly failed to rise to the occasion and save him from the torments he was going through. Fr Stan Swamy’s pilgrimage on earth may have ended but he will live in our hearts forever. A soldier of solidarity, he bravely and with courage championed the cause for a more humanitarian society. He stood for simplicity and empowerment of the exploited while always being a friend of the poor and downtrodden. The Constitution of India envisages a free, fair and independent judiciary. The highest standards of independence must be ensured by warding off even the faintest trace of government’s influence on the judiciary. It has to be ensured that judicial accountability is maintained at all times with every judge conforming to the highest standards of uprightness and integrity solely to the rule of law. Justice V R Krishna Iyer once said: “Even so, the creed of judicial independence is our constitutional ‘religion’ and, if the executive uses Article 222 to imperil this basic tenet, the court must ‘do or die’.” On account of the legal system having failed to timely deliver, Fr Stan Swamy died a martyr sacrificing his life in the battle against injustice. He will be missed more particularly by our less fortunate brethren who he tirelessly served all his life with passion and care. His pending bail application died a natural death, but Fr Stan Swamy is finally free to now serve in the kingdom of God.
AIRES RODRIGUES, RIBANDAR