Poll vault• The announcement of the Gujarat elections to be held on December 11 and 16 follows the tactical retreat by the UPA and Left reported yesterday to put off the snap poll jitters for some more time. The scenario appears almost scripted. To fully concentrate their energy on the Gujarat election, the move has been made. This after the rhetoric on display — first from the PM, then Kapil Sibal, then the Karats and A.B. Bardhan and penultimately by Sonia Gandhi and ultimately by the grand old CPM man, Jyoti Basu. With all these signals, it appeared that a mid-term poll was imminent. Now the sudden retreat on it appears to be provoked solely by the Gujarat election. Once that is over, the rhetorics will come alive once again — or maybe not (depending on the outcome of that poll)!— Kedarnath R. AiyarMumbaiUndue process• With reference to your editorial, Karnataka waits, I fully endorse your view regarding holding an early state assembly election in order to avoid any possible defection game. It is unfortunate that the Bommai judgment mandating ratification by Parliament before formal dissolution of an incumbent assembly is coming in the way of the constitution of a new assembly. But we also need to remember 2005, when Bihar Governor Buta Singh recommended dissolution of the Bihar assembly, the Supreme Court found the action malafide and biased. Perhaps we need to have a fresh analysis of the Bommai judgement, given today’s political circumstances. Of course, the judicial review of governor’s recommendations should remain but there is no need for a straightjacket formula as mandated in the Bommai judgement because it causes hardship to the electorate, who after all want a duly elected government as early as possible. — Hemant KumarAmbalaDeal breaker• The CM’s resignation ends a political drama but does not undo its effect on the national ethos. All nations and their institutions are sustained by the fabric of values. One such value is the sanctity attached to honouring an agreement, whatever its nature. This is essential to the proper functioning of all types of relationships. It is in this light that we should view the recent events. The main reason given for the reneging on the agreement was that the BJP is a communal body. This does not hold water, as the BJP is no more communal now than it was 20 months ago.— C.J.M. MathewBangaloreRam for Gandhi• I do not agree with Lalit Mohan’s view on what Gandhi thought about Ram. First, Lord Ram does not require any certificate, either from Gandhi, our Central government or even from the VHP. Hindustanis have prayed to Ram from time immemorial. Please remember that Gandhi was of course a great man, but he was no superman. In fact, we need to debate whether he should bear the title, ‘Father of the Nation’, because in our scriptures, our motherland is supreme — even greater than God. Nobody, therefore, can be the father of our motherland.— Harish Awasthi New Delhi • Please allow me to congratulate Lalit Mohan on his intervention, ‘Gandhijis’s Ram’. We worship Ram who is also known by other names — Allah, God and Waheguru, and is beyond birth and death. Gandhiji uttered “Hey Ram’’ after being hit by Godse’s bullet. He meant, “God Almighty”.— Dalip Singh Ghuman Chandigarh
