Letters to the editor

— Shekar A. Amn, Thane

• Such has been the spread of corruption that a Supreme Court bench felt compelled to say what it said. The judges’ reaction is a reflection of the cancer of corruption spreading fast, eating into the vitals of the nation. This is the reason that courts in India have earned the confidence of people because they make statements and rulings in India’s public interest and politicians are losing credibility day by day because they make rules in nobody’s interest but their own. Almost all political leaders are power brokers and, yes, to that extent corrupt. Our democratic institutions, legislature and executive are malfunctioning; the judiciary alone has the saving the grace. This remark from the Supreme Court judges should act as a wake-up call for the political class to work in tandem with the judiciary for the common goal of eradication of corruption.

— Vitull K. Gupta, Bhatinda

• The Supreme Court bench’s reference to hanging “some people in the public” signifies how the hon’ble judges found themselves helpless before the erring executives (‘Rules of law’, IE, March 9). Even the government officers hardly take cognisance of orders issued by the courts, especially the orders for payment of money. They hardly care about proceedings of contempt of court against them, as such cases take years to be finalised. But our judiciary should stop believing itself so toothless, and avoid speaking injudicious phrases. It can act as hard it wishes to.

— Naval Langa, Ahmedabad

Wrong platform

• I am writing in response to the news that the wife of the prime minister, and Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit, participated in a function organised by Godfrey Phillips (‘Newsline’, March 9). Is this how women who are at the helm of affairs in our nation celebrate Women’s Day? Do they not know what Godfrey Phillips stands for? Or are they oblivious of the damage tobacco does to women in India? I protest also on behalf of all those women who are trying to fight the tobacco promoters who lure gullible women to smoking.

— Mira Aghi, New Delhi

Silence speaks

• As an inquiring Indian who keenly follows the national political scene, I am intrigued by the muted comments of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the reverses suffered by the Congress in the state elections and his reluctance to defend the budget presented under his leadership. His silence says: “Please refer all policy matters to 10 Janpath, or to the NSA. I’m only the Prime Minister of India.”

— Ranjit B. Rai, New Delhi