Opinion People power
With Uttar Pradesh,Goa,Punjab and Uttarakhand breaking previous records and marking their highest ever voter turnouts
People power
* With Uttar Pradesh,Goa,Punjab and Uttarakhand breaking previous records and marking their highest ever voter turnouts,we are possibly looking at a political resurgence that has an aam admi awakening written all over it. A methodical weeding out of the anomalies that plagued the electoral process has brought in transparency that has enabled a factual projection of voting patterns. Booth capturing,rigging,offering inducements,intimidation and impersonation have been curbed. So,for all purposes,the high percentage of voting could be attributed to the ECs efforts. However,one is tempted to go with the contention that the record turnover is an indication of peoples power,a constitutional way to show the door to non-performing representatives.
Pachu Menon Margao
Clear expectations
* The winners of the just concluded assembly elections termed as a semi-final for the general election in 2014 must ensure good governance. The incumbents in these states had been accused of corruption and poor governance. Whoever steps in,in each state,will be well-advised to run efficient,delivery-oriented governments. Anna Hazares crusade against corruption may have lost steam,but the people of India have been awakened and their aspiration for good governance has been sharpened like nothing before.
R.J. Khurana Bhopal
Second coming
* Vladimir Putin is back as president after a four-year hiatus. No one in the recent past has had such a long run at the helm of affairs. The longevity of this former spy-turned-politician is praise-worthy,albeit grudgingly. However,the Russia that Putin left as president in 2008 is different from todays. Although it continues to enjoy the fruits of a state-run energy export enterprise,the economic downturn has lowered demand and affected Russias economic boom. Political instability in the Middle East has seen the rise of a new class of vocal exponents of change,relying on social networks and the internet to challenge state authority. Putin too,wary of this new challenge,allowed anti-Putin protests in the run-up to the elections to give the electioneering a veneer of fairplay. But,going by Putins record,a crackdown is very much on the cards. How Putin adapts to a changing geopolitical and economic environment will mark this second coming.
Karan Thakur New Delhi
Kabaddi kudos
* This refers to your sports page photograph of the Indian womens Kabaddi team (IE,March 5). Kudos to the team for winning the Kabaddi World Cup in Patna. While the win may not have raised many eyebrows and may have gone unnoticed its a proud moment for our nation all the same. We have won a world championship and its up to us to make this discipline popular across the globe. While our cricketers have struggled,hockey and Kabaddi have brought us laurels.
S.N. Kabra Mumbai
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