Don’t forget

Bad start

• Apropos of your editorial ‘Mantralaya drama’ (IE, October 30), the long drawn high drama for the post of the chief minister in Maharashtra is a question mark on the maturity of the Congress party as well as on its commitment towards the rules of the coalition politics. With such inherent conflict in the coalition, the new government doesn’t appear to be set for smooth sailing. No wonder, expecting good governance from it seems to be a daydream.

— M.C. Joshi Lucknow

Good riddance

• Kumar Ketkar’s ‘Tiger’s whimper’ (IE, October 30), is an incisive article which only a Maharashtrian could have written. The Sena’s goondaism is something which the people of Mumbai, especially the migrants who came to the city to earn a peaceful living, have had to suffer for far too long.

— G.Sriniwasan Adelaide

Sena’s bounce

• The Shiv Sena was written off by all the mainstream newspapers, including Marathi newspapers such as Loksatta, in the late ’70s and the ’80s. They embraced Hindutva and bounced back. In a highly fragmented polity, parties will have their ups and downs. However, irrespective of who gains power after Bal Thackeray, if the party manages to hang on to most of its core constituency, it will continue to be attractive as a coalition partner. I would not be surprised if they bounce back.

— Arul New York

Off with Guvs!

• It is the habit of any political party that comes to power at the Centre to appoint, transfer, remove the governors, depending upon their political affiliation. We don’t think, then, that this type of post is necessary and the post of governor should be removed forthwith. The government should bring in the necessary amendement to the constitution.
If not, the governor’s post should be kept above political affiliations and leaders who have crossed a certain age.

— R.C. Pillai Nashik

Only Mumbai

• Thanks for focusing on a truly local view of Mumbai’s problems in Harsh Kabra’s ‘Shanghai nightmares’ (IE, October 29). The problems of Mumbai are different and media spin and political and corporate rhetoric like ‘‘Shangaiing’’ Mumbai or ‘‘Singaporing’’ it sound amusing. I notice that even in the large Peking railway station there are not the surging crowds like in Mumbai’s VT or Churchgate. Our problems are daunting. Let us encourage those who give our own solutions at a far cheaper outlay.
Mumbai’s suburban rail system should be taken up as a priority. Let the elite provide some short term and medium term solutions for Mumbai’s transport nightmare rather than selling visions of utopia some 15 years hence.

— S. Subramanyan Mumbai