• The Noida police has proved to be utterly incompetent in handling the two crimes that have grabbed national attention - the Aarushi double murder investigation and the investigation of the Nithari incidents. Like her predecessor Mulayam Singh in the Nithari case, Chief Minister Mayawati too appeared trading truth for politics by not frankly accepting that the concerned police officers were guilty of utter negligence and bungling. The police officers responsible for declaring Hemraj the culprit and announcing a reward for informing his whereabouts when he had not only been killed but his body was also lying on the roof of the very house is ample proof of the negligence of the investigating officers. This also underscores the need for separating investigative police officers from those responsible for law and order. — Man Mohan SinghAhmedabadOil ration•THE RBI’s move for open market operations to help ease liquidity with oil companies by way of bond selling is not an encouraging step. The oil thirst of the country cannot be quenched by subsidies or short-term measures. People will not understand so easily unless hard talk on ground level is made a reality by increasing prices. People must be made aware of the need to conserve oil. Let there be a limit fixed for oil consumption in a month for each type of vehicle. And the people could be encouraged to create surpluses in the production of goods and services which help create favourable national balance of payment. Intensive agriculture should be the slogan for at least 20 years.— B.B. GoyalLudhianaK’taka eye opener• IT is reported that the cost of recent Karnataka assembly elections is Rs 60 crores, which is borne entirely by state government. This should open the eyes of the people, because it with their money that elections are fought. People should not allow irresponsible political leaders to play their usual power politics and destabilise the government of the day. All elected representatives should first recognise their responsibility instead of wasting their energy on political bickering. Both the ruling party (or coalition) and the opposition should concentrate on urgent constructive issues and ensure that the government gets to last its full term.— V.S. GaneshanBangaloreStraws in wind• OPPOSITION leader L.K. Advani’s statement about seeking development and participation of minorities is still vague and meant to cover up for BJP chief Rajnath Singh’s demands that the term ‘secular’ be dropped from the Constitution. The BJP president is once again underlining the party’s strongly Hindu nationalist ideology, which is surely going to make BJP allies and some of his party colleagues squirm in embarrassment. Though Advani tries to woo Muslims it should not be forgotten that the Gujarat pogrom’s Nero is still at the helm.— Bidyut K. ChatterjeeFaridabad
