Dearth of reading material

WITH reference to the article by Ms Zubeida Mustafa, there have been long discussions in these columns on the “need for libraries”. The debate might never end because the need for better and bigger libraries still remains unfulfilled.

I am a student myself. Every day I need to go to the library of my university in search of books. Many times I have the names of the books I need but on asking the librarian I get a disappointing answer. We are worried about the scarcity of public libraries but what about the libraries in the universities, the seat for higher education in the country? Do they not need more attention?

One major reason for the deteriorating education standard is the shortage of books in the libraries. In many countries, libraries are equipped with books of all kinds and audio-visual learning aids that help students grasp the subject easily. The education department has already messed up the younger lot of this country and jeopardized their future with the introduction of ‘grace marks policy’, non-revision of textbooks and lack of access to libraries. One will surely not call Pakistan a progressive country. There are hardly any libraries worth mentioning. Those that are worth anything charge high membership fee and are far from being accessible.

The education affairs of this country are in the hands of people far detached and remotely related to quality education. The lawmakers should increase the education budget and the pittance that it is to a standard comparable with that of a forward-looking developing country. Human resource development should be our highest priority. We wish to see our education system rise. The government and opposition must devote time to make people-friendly laws rather than to make derogatory and unparliamentary remarks against each other on the floor of the assembly.

Disenchantment at our failures would result in massive brain drain.

SIDRA RAFIQUE GOODA

Karachi

Confined space entry

THIS refers to a recent incident on M.V. Alexy II when a Yemeni seaman died in one of the ship’s cargo oil tanks while on way to the Gadani shipbreaking yard and, thereafter, followed by another tragic death of one of four Edhi Foundation volunteers in an attempt to retrieve the body of the fallen seaman from the bottom of the tank.

This incident has incompetence written all over on the part of the ship officers and crew for allowing the four volunteers to go into a high hazard confined space without proper personal protective equipment and, above all, no training whatsoever in “confined space entry”. It also speaks of negligence on the part of the officer/surveyor of the Mercantile Marine Department for not inspecting the ship in time to assess the incident and take appropriate measures to retrieve the victim who had succumbed to his death most probably due to oxygen deficiency and exposure to toxic substance in the tank.

This could have taken a turn for the worse had the three men not made it out in time before being overcome by fumes from the slop in the tank. Every ship by law (1998) should be in compliance with International Safety Management and have in its possession a certificate, called a Safety Management Certificate, verifying that the company and its shipboard management operate in accordance with Safety Management System.

This task could have safely been carried out by the officers and crew on board, who are trained in confined space policy and procedures, by first removing any hazards, in this case transferring the slop into another tank, ventilating the space, test for oxygen levels, test for flammable and combustible gases and test for toxic air contaminants, only then entry into the tank with personal protective equipment, which includes — and not limited to self-contained breathing apparatus — gas detector, safety harness and lifeline used to retrieve the body of the dead seamen.

The master and chief engineer of M.V. Alexy II are fully responsible for allowing the four men to enter the confined space which caused this senseless death.

C. RODRIGUES

British Columbia, Canada

KIA scam victims

THIS has reference to the letter by an “affected person” from Hyderabad (Sept 29).

We made two payments of Rs49,000 each on 19.01.1995 to Naya Daur Motors (Pvt) Ltd for one car each at the time of booking. Later on we paid Rs280,060 towards balance for one car plus Rs10,000 for delivery as demanded through KIA Complex Motors Ltd, Lahore.

We remained in contact with General Manager (Production/ Marketing) of Naya Daur Motors for the estimated date of delivery. On delay after delay of the promised date, we reported the matter to the accountability bureau of the government. Our claims were registered by the bureau.

On checking progress with the bureau, we were advised that we should contact the official assignee of the Sindh High Court. The assignee is avoiding answering our letters, telephone calls, etc., and, therefore, we are nowhere till now in our quest for an answer as to when we may expect the car(s) or the refund of our money.

Is the government unable to help? Is Naya Daur Motors no longer under the government control? As far back as when Mr Nawaz Sharif was the prime minister, a joint secretary of the ministry of the production announced on the TV that those who had booked KIA cars with Naya Daur Motors would get their cars shortly under an arrangement made with all parties concerned. It is now nearly five years but there is no sign of either the cars for which full payments were made and in some cases delivery charges were also paid, or refund of the money.

Will the authorities concerned let the victims know what they should do to get their cars or their money?

USMAN AHMED

Lahore

Corporate farming

I AGREE with Mr Ashok Suthar (Oct 6) when he highlights the hazards of corporate farming and its effects on the small farmers who are being systematically impoverished by having to buy copyrighted fertilizer-responsive seeds, imported or imported licensed fertilizers and pesticides, and to use imported or licensed tractors and harvesters and

so on, which are surreptitiously subsidized by the West

to force us to use their

products until our lands get “addicted” to this technology and produce “weakened” grains and vegetables.

Has it ever occurred to us to check the sweetness of the highly processed sugar which today requires us to use two/three teaspoonfuls per cup of tea, against the earlier less refined sugar’s one teaspoonful? All health signals point to avoiding the three Ws — white sugar, white salt and white flour — all super refined products based on fertilizer/pesticide-applied raw materials produced in big quantities.

It is claimed that even our hunger today needs twice as much quantity to be satisfied because of the lack or nutrition provided by present-day “corporate”-produced farm produce.

Let us encourage the use of traditional organic-based farming and provide gainful employment to our surplus manpower. Otherwise, we run the risk of having the younger people, being trained on western technology and equipment, going abroad for gainful employment, with our lands being left to be tilled by the “seniors”.

NIZAR MECKLAI

Newmarket, Ontario,

Canada

Automobile industry

THE automobile industry appears to be under pressure from the government to reduce the prices of motorcars. The government is also reported to have formed a task force to look into the costs of motorcars and the profits of the assemblers. It is also reported that the automobile assemblers are not fully cooperating with the task force by withholding part of the financial data about their operations.

First, it should be realized by all that we have a free economy. The prices are determined by the interplay of demand and supply, on the one hand, and the profit motives of the entrepreneurs, on the other. As such, the government should not interfere with the working of the automobile industry. If we do so, we will be discouraging other investors to enter the industry and offer alternative products at competitive prices to the consumers.

Secondly, the automobile industry once allowed to operate in a free and fair environment should not have any protection against import of new and used cars. Our country is still lagging far behind in motor vehicles for its people. Less than five per cent of the households own a car. Our annual production of motor vehicles is just 10 per cent of the monthly production of motor vehicles in Japan.

A vast majority of the middle class cannot afford to buy the locally-assembled cars. Why should they be deprived of cheaper cars or second-hand cars from abroad? Aren’t we living in a free country?

MUMTAZ A. PIRACHA

Karachi

Sending troops to Iraq

THIS refers to the Dr Majeed Pirzada’s article “Should Pakistan send troops to Iraq?” (Oct 4). In the past our soldiers were deployed in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE without the consent of the United Nations, and in various other countries with the consent of the UN.

The oath provided for the members of the armed forces as contained in the 1973 Constitution, or any provision of the Constitution does not prohibit the armed forces from being deployed in Iraq in replacement of the forces of the US and allies.

However, such deployment will be on the condition that our troops will not wage a war or conduct an operation, rather they will work to maintain law and order.

The placement of 8,000 to 10,000 soldiers composed of two brigades will help pave the way for the Iraqis to move towards a democratic society. Also, Pakistan will get remittances/compensation which it can use for developing agriculture. The 10 per cent of this remittance can be used for population control.

SAALIM SALAM ANSARI

Karachi

‘The Grapes of Wrath’

THE following is an extract from John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1940.

“And the great owner, who must lose their land in an upheaval, the great owners with access to history, with eyes to read history and to know the great fact: when property accumulates in too few hands it is taken away. And that companion fact: when a majority of the people are hungry and cold they will take by force what they need. And the little screaming fact that sounds through all history: repression works only to strengthen and knit the repressed. The great owners ignored the three cries of history. The land fell into fewer hands, the number of the dispossessed increased, and every effort of the great owners was directed at repression. The money was spent for arms, for gas to protect the great holdings, and spies were sent to catch the murmuring of revolt so that it might be stamped out. The changing economy was ignored, plans for the change ignored; and only means to destroy revolt were considered, while the causes of revolt went on.”

I don’t think we have reached such a state as Steinbeck portrayed in his book, but let us not be the great owners who ignore the cries of history, and also let us not any other great owner ignore its teachings.

OBAID-UR-RAHMAN KHAN

Karachi

Robbery on the road

IT was 1pm last fortnight when we were robbed at gunpoint while waiting in our car, caught in a traffic jam on Karachi’s Lyari Bridge, Maripur Road, to turn right to Shershah for SITE. All this happened in less than 10 seconds.

All cash, watches, mobile phones, gold ring were taken away while we remained stuck in the jam for another 30 minutes at the same place. Vehicles and others all around, though the robbers were abusing and shouting to create a panic, we do not know if anyone took note.

We also do not know how many fellow citizens who travel on this route have fallen victim to such unfortunate incidents. We, therefore, feel the need of advising fellow citizens that they must be careful while travelling on this route and avoid carrying valuables with them. Law and order operating agencies must depute their personnel to check such looting incidents.

SUFFERERS

Karachi

Income tax refund to senior citizens

Much has already appeared in Dawn concerning relief and incentives to senior citizens, only to fall on the insensitive ears of authorities that matter. Most senior citizens honestly pay their income tax qualifying themselves thereby to long declared government policy to entitle them to 50 per cent refund thereof.

Besides the income tax, I have promptly paid the withholding tax of 10 per cent of my income. While paying the income tax, 50 per cent of the tax has been shown to be refundable which I am entitled to get long since. But what does the income tax department get out of delaying refund? The answer is that it serves to inflate recovery of income tax and at the same time to compound mark-up at the expense of the senior citizens.

While the department is talking of patriotism (Oct 2), one wonders as to how this unbecoming delay in refund can be reconciled with either the government policy or the patriotic declaration.

Full credit goes to this paper for espousing senior citizens’ cause by writing, and publishing “march on” photos (Oct 2). Would the CBR care to unlock the mystery that surrounds refund of 50 per cent income tax, if what has been stated herein is not true?

USMAN KHAN

Karachi

Dismissal of Israeli pilots

THE refusal by a group of Israeli air force pilots to attack Palestinian settlements, which has led them to face dismissal, is indeed highly honourable and chivalrous (Sept 26).

They were bold enough to stand before their own government and call the orders given by it to take part in missions inside Palestine as “immoral and patently illegal”.

On the other hand, the reaction by the Israeli authorities, though not unexpected at all, is very shameful. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has asked these pilots not to interfere in politics and follow the orders given to them. In his statements, he has said that the “terrorists and murderers” who attack the innocent civilians must be dealt with sternly. However, Mr Sharon fails to explain how attacking the Palestinian civilians, and that too by forcing his armymen, can be justified.

SYEDA AASIA BATOOL

Mirpurkhas

Steroids in toothpaste

I REFER to the letter by Dr Owais Ali Farooqi on steroids in toothpaste (Oct 2).

I do not understand as to why the doctor residing in the US got the toothpaste samples examined at a laboratory in Pakistan? Could he not get those samples examined in the US? I ask him to get at least those eight samples re-tested in the US and inform us about the reports.

Secondly, he is mum by not giving the names of those eight brands of bad quality toothpaste. How does he expect the people to stop using the toothpaste. By being vague in his letter he only increased confusion rather than offered any help.

F. J. KHAMBATTA

Karachi

‘LEW to help check traffic bottlenecks’

THIS refers to a recent news-item, titled “LEW to help check traffic bottlenecks”, according to which the adviser to the Sindh chief minister on local bodies, Mr Waseem Akhtar, said that with the completion of the Lyari Expressway, major bottlenecks in Karachi would be removed.

I suggest that the adviser go through the feasibility report of the LEW, wherein it is clearly written that the LEW is meant only for the port-bound traffic, which means that only heavy traffic such as trailers and trucks, carrying goods to and from Karachi seaport, can use this expressway. He must know that this is not an intra-city road and the light traffic of the city cannot use this road.

Thus, traffic bottlenecks in Karachi will remain the same even after the construction of the Lyari Expressway, because all the major markets such as Dhan Mandi, wholesale markets on Marriot Road, Jodia Bazaar, Khori Garden, Anaj Mandi, the wholesale market of pharmaceutical products and huge godowns are situated in the centre of the city. All this area from Kharadar/Mithadar to M. A. Jinnah Road is more than two kilometres in radius. The electronics and computers’ markets are in Saddar, Clifton, Tariq Road and other areas of dense population. The heavy traffic has to pass through these areas to supply goods to the markets, and the Lyari Expressway cannot help remove the bottlenecks.

The best way to avoid bottlenecks is to construct and develop Northern Bypass and resumption of the Karachi Circular Railway. With the construction of Northern Bypass, the wholesale markets and huge godowns can be shifted to the area along with the bypass by building infrastructure for traders and godown owners. They are ready to vacate their present areas but the administration seems unwilling to resolve their problems.

This congested area from Lyari to city courts, including areas of Mcleod Road up to Saddar, needs fresh air. But with the construction of the Lyari Expressway, the pollution in this vast area will also be increased thousand times and the whole city will become bottlenecks for ordinary traffic.

BASEER NAVEED

Karachi