DMKs options
The only outcome of the DMKs walking out of the UPA seems to be that it can now claim to have distanced itself from the corruption-ridden UPA 2 led by the Congress (Whose foreign policy?,IE,March 21). The move may not translate into substantial political benefits. There is no denying that the condition of Sri Lankan Tamils needs to be remedied. For that,the Indian government and the international community have to work with the Sri Lankan government. The DMK could have used its presence in the UPA to push the agenda of pressuring the Sri Lankan government to honour its commitments. What options does the DMK have to placate people in Tamil Nadu,now that it is out of government at the Centre,and with the AIADMK ruling the state? Without elections in the near future,the DMK may have to walk a long and lonely path.
Zulfikhar Akram,Bangalore
Settled beforehand
Apropos SP triggers new crisis,TMC extends hand (IE,March 21),its time to end the high-handedness of coalition allies and supporters by framing rules for coalition government. For example,opportunistic post-poll alliances should be made invalid. Only pre-poll alliances,with a common manifesto,should be eligible for forming the government. There should be no provision of outside support. Parties willing to support the formation of a government should formally become part of the alliance and give an undertaking that,after government formation,they will not walk out. All
MPs of a party that violates the undertaking should lose their seats,which should remain vacant till the next general election.
M.C. Joshi
Enemies in need
The tenures of UPA 1 and 2 have been an object lesson more on the art of keeping enemies than influencing
friends. Since the DMK vacated the cabinet,there has been no dearth of well-wishers for the UPA. Regional players like the SP,BSP,JD(U) and RJD can all afford to shore up the UPA,because the Congress is no threat to them not to forget the TMC that came to support the government on Sri Lanka. Regional satraps will work out seat-sharing arrangements,with a common denial of the high chair,and yet with all of them occupying the power nest at the Centre. The Congresss six decades of political script-writing comes in handy,every time. They may not have loyal friends but are never short of sympathetic enemies.
R. Narayanan
Ghaziabad
The UPA duck
If the UPA is a lame duck (Quack theory,IE,March 21),one is tempted to draw a cricketing analogy and say that,after a promising start in its first innings,the UPA ducked a barrage of bouncers in its second before getting out for a duck.
R.P. Subramanian
New Delhi
