Letters to the editor

Verdict on House • THE Supreme Court verdict on the expulsion of 11 MPs by the Parliament is self-contradictory and disappointing. The ...

Verdict on House

• THE Supreme Court verdict on the expulsion of 11 MPs by the Parliament is self-contradictory and disappointing. The larger issue was the constitutional validity of the action. On one hand, the court has ruled that under our Constitution every action of every authority is subject to law, and Parliament is no exception. On the other, the court has defended the right of Parliament to expel its members on the ground that the right was inherent to Parliament’s power to regulate its proceedings. How could the Parliament expel the MPs when the maximum power that the Constitution has provided to Parliament for tackling such situations is suspension of the members concerned? The lone dissenting verdict of Justice R.V. Raveendran, which stated that the Parliament has no power to expel the erring members in the absence of such a provision in the Constitution, conforms to the role of judiciary as protector of the Constitution. More than anything else, the four-to-one majority verdict seems to be an attempt to buy peace with the legislature and consequently smooth sailing for the judiciary.

— M.C. Joshi, Mumbai

• APROPOS of your editorial ‘Court and House’ (IE, January 11), the Supreme Court judgment, upholding the expulsion of 11 MPs in the cash-for-questions scam is significant for our democracy, where different constitutional institutions respect the autonomy and independence of every other organ of the system. The SC has upheld the constitutional balance of combining judicial restraint and respect for the powers of the legislature. Whatever the people may think of ‘judicial activism’, the Supreme Court has upheld the Parliament’s right to discipline its members and protect its own dignity. All constitutional bodies should comply with the provisions of the Constitution. As for the 11 MPs, the issue is not just of asking the right questions without any strings attached but the need of the time is to debar, permanently from our legislature, people like Shibu Soren, who even after being found guilty of serious crime.

— Ved Guliani, Hisar

Thorium loop

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• THAT India would start construction of its first thorium-based Advanced Heavy Water Reactor in 2007 is welcome news. That India has 2.25 lakh tonnes of thorium reserves capable of generating 1.55 lakh GWe per year in an interesting piece of information. Whether India goes for the nuke deal with the US or not, work on thorium-derived nuclear energy should go on without any let-up in efforts.

— R. Ramarathinam, Chennai

Sectorally savvy

• YOUR editorial ‘HRD mentality’ (IE, January 5) refers to the National Knowledge Commission’s recommendation for a regulatory authority. Since the concept of a knowledge commission has a lot to do with the software called ‘knowledge’, it is better to involve think-tanks drawn from leading industrial and business houses, defence services and representatives from other administrative services, in working out a realistic model that would provide for excellence among diverse sectors in imparting and acquiring appropriate sector-specific knowledge.

— P.C. Aaraamudham, Chennai

Police personnel seen to control the situation during a massive protest over the statehood demand and the inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule, in Leh on Wednesday. (ANI Video Grab)

Statehood protest takes violent turn in Ladakh, BJP office set ablaze in Leh

India3 hr ago

Protests in Ladakh turned violent as students and youth organisations demanded statehood and Sixth Schedule status. Two elderly protesters fainted, prompting a shutdown call. A BJP office and security vehicle were set on fire. Activist Sonam Wangchuk urged for a peaceful approach. The demand for Sixth Schedule status is due to Ladakh's tribal-majority population and direct central administration.

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