Our feudal lords

This refers to the editorial 'Black Boxes8217;. Since the goal of a democratic polity is to work for the greatest good of society....

8226; This refers to the editorial 8216;Black Boxes8217;. Since the goal of a democratic polity is to work for the greatest good of society, Indian political parties have proved themselves to be self-indulgent and abusive of power. Politicians, the electorate, party agendas and the law have become instruments to that end. Our political parties are either dominated by individuals or by families. Arjun Singh8217;s claim that he had pledged his loyalty to the Nehru-Gandhis decades ago is a slap on the face of those who refute the charge of the Congress being a Nehru-Gandhi fiefdom.

8212; M.C. Joshi

Lucknow

Ego takes aim

8226; This refers to the editorial 8216;Carry on Doctor8217;. The timing of the amendment to the AIIMS Act, fixing the age limit of the director to 65, was uspicious. From its inception, the AIIMS had been India8217;s premier medical institute.

Therefore, to say after all these years that the amendment was meant to clear the murky business of appointing directors, left no one in doubt about the health minister8217;s intentions. Anbumani Ramadoss is better advised to improve India8217;s pathetic health care rather than persist in hounding Venugopal.

8212; Rakesh Khullar

Chandigarh

Judicial rescue

8226;The apex court8217;s ruling on the AIIMS issue is not just a victory for P. Venugopal but also for the power and process of judicial review. Although Parliament possesses the sovereign power to enact legislation the judiciary is within its rights to strike down laws if it finds them malafide and flawed.

But the Venugopal case is not an isolated one. It has always been an executive practice in India to supercede or superannuate any public servant who refuses to fall in line.

The court8217;s verdict should silence those who criticise the growing tendency of courts to adjudicate in the administrative acts of government.

8212; Hemant Kumar

Ambala

Hesitant new world

8226;Pratap Bhanu Mehta8217;s 8216;Postcard from a new century8217; was a critical appraisal of America8217;s locus standi in the new world order. Since US hegemony remained unchallenged after the Soviet collapse and even after the rise of the European Union, global economics has been dictated by US policy.

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Now, the United States itself faces a looming economic crisis brought about by its loose regulating of the private sector. The US should speedily learn the consequences of its policy choices by the evidence of their failure in its domestic economy. But the US seems to believe that it will get away with putting the blame on middle class consumers from developing economies.

America will avert a crisis for itself and for the world at large only by broadening its perspective and becoming more inclusive in its policy-making. For the moment, the world should welcome the rearrangement of global economic equations in the offing.

8212; Satish Lothe

Nashik