• The BJP had a bright future once. It has now unfortunately sunk into deep crisis, rife with internal dissension and indiscipline. If it has to survive, the party must reinvent itself by shedding its medieval mindset and dogma and move forward with progressive and forward looking ideas, policies and programmes. — V. Padmanabhan On e-mail Go back, Sourav • Sourav Ganguly should never have been brought back as the Indian captain. But the selectors refused to see the truth. Who knows they may still have the last laugh. Sourav may yet score a couple of hundreds against Zimbabwe. Save Indian cricket from these fools! Ganguly never was good against genuine pace bowling and he will only get worse. Ganguly is the past, not the future of Indian cricket. — Suresh Dewri Navi Mumbai Helping ourselves • I read ‘Village that’s a model for self-help’ (IE, September 8), with interest and I feel that this could be one of the most significant stories in the development of a new India. For too long the people have been taught to rely on others, or the ‘‘mai-baap sarkar’’, for handouts rather than organise themselves to sort out their own affairs as is the case in western societies. Self governance avoids alienation of the people from institutions of the state and gets commitment from the community to deliver a better life for all. India should move from monolithic governance structures to local governance. This will impart dynamism to Indian society and result in an Indian renaissance. This is why your story is of great importance. My congratulations! — Arvind Vij London A hopeful sign • The Supreme Court’s decision to examine the mala fides alleged against the Bihar Governor in a time bound manner before the scheduled election is an encouraging sign for people who respect democracy in the country, irrespective of the final outcome. That the court took up the matter indicates that there is at least a prima facie case that has been established by the petitioners while respecting the constitutional immunity enjoyed by the governor. On the question of parking their chosen candidates in the high office of governor, who then oblige by behaving in partisan ways, all parties are guilty. — C.N. Kumar Bangalore Well, well, CPI • Communist Party of India leader A.B. Bardhan has said in the context of forthcoming elections in Bihar, “People want secular government but they also want good governance”. Well, well, the CPI has realised this simple truth 40 years too late in Bihar and about 50 years too late for India, as a whole. Now let the CPI convince its Left allies, who are still stuck in the ’60s ideology. — Sidharth Sydney
