Unseemly sight

The news channels showed a familiar spectacle on Thursday noon. The prime minister was reading a motion of thanks to the presi...

The news channels showed a familiar spectacle on Thursday noon. The prime minister was reading a motion of thanks to the president while members of the opposition, angered over attempts to influence the CBI in the Babri Masjid case, were shouting him down and demanding his resignation. The scene was in stark contrast to the manner in which proceedings are conducted in British Parliament.
At the peak of the debate over British support to America8217;s impending war against Iraq, Blair was facing a determined opposition in the House. The opponents belonged to the treasury benches as well as the opposition. As soon as someone stood up to make an angry interjection, PM Blair sat down to hear him and the opponent resumed his seat after making his submission.
The graceful manner in which the debate was conducted was a treat to watch. The repetitive ruckus in our Parliament suggests that we have borrowed only the form, not the spirit the Westminster form of democracy.

8212; J.M. Manchanda, New Delhi

Whose CBI?

8226; When the UPA government questions the CBI as to why the latter did not appeal against the discharge of L.K. Advani in the Babri Masjid case, IE, February 23, it conveniently ignores the basic fact that in this country, the top crime investigating agency is not independent or autonomous but reports to the government of the day. The UPA government, for political reasons, dares not accuse the then NDA government or the accused Advani who was then the deputy PM and had apparently used his clout in the government to
ensure that the CBI would not appeal against the acquittal. No government in power has ever initiated action to make the CBI independent of the government8217;s jurisdiction so that it can function autonomously.

8212; Sameer Kumar, New Delhi

Shame

8226; The silence of the political parties, except the BJP, on UP Minister Qureshi8217;s rhetoric on the issue of the Danish cartoons tantamounts to an anti-national stance. The pseudo-secular stance by these parties is a shame.

8212; Kedarnath Aiyar Mumbai

No surprise, this

8226; The Jessica Lall murder case verdict has stunned millions of common people though it must have surprised only a few. It is a replay of the same pattern: the rich and the powerful have always got away with murder, often, literally. The verdict has further eroded the common man8217;s dwindling trust in free India8217;s legal 8216;system8217;. Given the turnaround of all major witnesses who turned hostile succumbing to threat or temptation, it was inevitable under a legal framework designed over a hundred years ago.
And our president dreams of an 8220;Empowered India8221;.

8212; Kishore Karnad Baroda

Misguided quest

8226; US President Bush is as off-course as Columbus was when he declares that 8220;More than five centuries ago, Christopher Columbus set out for India and proved the world was round.8221; IE, February 23. Actually, people knew the Earth was round long before the Columbus voyage: the great Greek astronomer Eratosthenes 276-194 BCE had not only proved it over 1500 years earlier, but even worked out a pretty good approximation of the Earth8217;s circumference. Indeed, the only thing Columbus proved by thinking America was India was his own underestimation of Earth8217;s size!

8212; R.P. Subramanian, Delhi