It8217;s no party

The AICC probe into the Congress party8217;s rout in the recent assembly elections seems to advocate 8216;coalition arrangem...

The AICC probe into the Congress party8217;s rout in the recent assembly elections seems to advocate 8216;coalition arrangement8217; as the most effective remedial measure. However, if it be thought that accepting the idea of electoral partners by itself will provide the Congress with an answer to the present confusion, then that holding is fraught with misplaced logic.

This is because the cold calculus of reality is that the Congress needs a settled core agenda and philosophy to galvanise its party workers and make an impact on the voter at large.

Its electoral rout conveys a more ominous message than an inducement to the chant of coalitions and the need to extend its reach and capability in the hinterland. At the moment, no one knows what this party stands for with any certitude. It must distinguish itself clearly from the BJP and pinpoint how and where it would have differed from the NDA8217;s decisions on both policy and implementation grounds. It has to take these steps if it is to escape from further redundancy in the general election.

8212; Rishabh Bhandari On e-mail

General movement

8226; Husain Haqqani8217;s analysis is frank and refreshing 8216;General need for a reality check8217;, IE, December 25. The main conclusion, that General Musharraf has only offered tactical solutions rather than a strategic review of the situations and the paradigm, is a sound one.

India8217;s foreign policy was till recently a Pakistan-centric one till Atal Bihari Vajpayee defined a strategic vision of an economically vibrant India playing the role of a major world power. Musharraf has to liberate himself and his country from the India-centric foreign policy that Pakistan has followed all along.
It is time for an Indo-Pak understanding and collaboration in South Asia on the same lines as the Franco-German friendship in Europe. The subcontinent has the potential to become a strong economic region.

8212; Giri Girishankar, On e-mail

Simply greed

8226; This is a fantastic way to nullify the misdoings of the entire nation and all its governments, just call it 8216;8216;personal greed8217;8217;

8216;Nuke experts driven by greed, admits Pak8217;, IE, December 25. These spin doctors in Pakistan really know how to confuse the United States.

8212; B. Amit On e-mail

Dada8217;s the best

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8226;This refers to 8216;A snob for the job8217; by Ashok Malik IE, December 25. Whether you like Saurav Ganguly8217;s batting or not, he is a good communicator, he knows how to stand up for the team and how to get more from each of the team members. Do you think Gavaskar or Vengsarkar or even Kapil Dev could compare?

8212; Manohar On e-mail

State of chaos

8226; Maharashtra is on the fast track to becoming a hooligan state, controlled by hoodlums, belonging to one party or the other 8216;Bhujbal stamped out8217;, IE, December 25. The terrain of the Shiv Sena is becoming also the playground of the NCP.

Is Sharad Pawar, who played and continues to play a dominant role in this city, now heading a party which decides things by muscle power? He should ask himself whether this is the way to create a business and investor friendly climate.

8212; Ramesh Lahoti On e-mail