Elective course
* This is with reference to your editorial Oppositions right (June 8). It is true that including civil society members in the drafting committee of the Lokpal bill and sending questionnaires to political parties before tabling the bill in Parliament amount to questioning the privileges of our sovereign law-making body. But it is also true that the issue of corruption has not been seriously debated in Parliament recently. One should not ignore the fact that it is the inertia on the part of our parliamentarians that has given such a boost to the efforts of civil society members. Our democracy is at peril because on one hand people with criminal background enter the Lok Sabha and on the other civil society members with apparently good intentions try to bypass parliamentary traditions. The need of the hour is for these civil society leaders to join electoral politics,enter Parliament and fight legitimately to make India corruption-free.
Anil S. Sutar Mumbai
Centre of controversy
* Pratap Bhanu Mehtas severe indictment of the UPA government reflects the deep disenchantment of most Indians (Second time as farce,IE,June 7). As pointed out in the article,the government continues to defy all norms of rationality,morality,common sense and good judgment. The prime minister cannot dismiss this sharp criticism as irrelevant or biased. Manmohan Singhs statement that there was no alternative to the midnight police assault at the Ramlila Maidan has few takers.
M. Ratan New Delhi
* The article Second time as farce must be read by Congress leaders,who should then ponder over the decline in their party. First,a minor issue is allowed to develop into a major crisis,and then it is dealt with in a ham-handed manner. For the people of the country,the problem runs deeper since a complacent government is being given a free hand by the main opposition party. Instead of worrying about the political space it has surrendered to civil society,the opposition is trying to bask in its reflected glory.
Y.G. Chouksey Pune
Back to the House
* This refers to Arrest this chaos (IE,June 6). Anna Hazare and Ramdev by themselves are not important. What is pertinent is what they stand for. One should not underestimate the public disillusionment with an administration which seems lackadaisical about preventing corruption that is entrenched in the system. A beginning had to be made by someone. Now the government must call a session of Parliament. That is the right place to commence the conversation that this country needs.
Mohit Chander,Jalandhar
Cause and effect
* The massive support for Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev stems from the perception that the government is reticent about checking corruption and confiscating black money. All those who support Ramdev are not necessarily his admirers or followers. They are supporting a cause. The UPA may try to stifle the agitation,but peoples frustration is bound to reflect in the next polls as it did in Tamil Nadu.
S. Rajagopalan,Chennai
