Opinion Standing strong

Pune

Baffled

•The editorial ‘Poll time,folks’ (IE,March 5) was baffling; particularly so against the backdrop of your report ‘Revealed: CEC’s letter accusing Chawla’ (IE,March 4). How could such revelations of bias on the part of one constitutional office holder be shoved under the carpet because of the baseless fear that the incumbent CEC’s recommendation about the removal of CEC-in-waiting,Navin Chawla? Wouldn’t the cover-up and quiet acceptance of one member’s bias compromise the Constitutional body that the Election Commission is,immeasurably weakening it? Are issues of impartiality and objectivity unimportant and irrelevant when general elections are due to begin next month?

— M. Ratan

New Delhi    

Irreparable damage

•You’ve rightly said that “differences of opinion are one thing and infighting another” (‘Poll time,folks’,IE,March 5). However,it is also noteworthy that this is not a simple case of a difference of opinion or infighting,but one of the credibility of a Constitutional body. Navin Chawla has become a subject of controversy. Now,he is set to take over as CEC. Amid accusations and counter accusations,involving the Congress and the BJP,and N. Gopalaswami and Chawla,the Election Commission has suffered irreparable damage.

— M.C. Joshi

Lucknow

Take another look

•With regard to the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore,one feels compelled to ask just what the Pakistan government is up to. Are they and the Pakistan army incapable of curbing terror and militancy? In fact,Sri Lanka’s crushing of the LTTE should be an example to the Pakistan administration. It is about time the international community took a serious look at Pakistan,its activities and motives.

— Krishna Kumar

Dombivli

Sacred and profane

•As an Indian,I am grieved at news of M.K. Gandhi’s personal items going under the hammer in an open auction in New York (‘Vijay Mallya procures Gandhi items…’,expressindia.com,March 6). Not only is it a matter of national shame but also a challenge to the collective conscience of Indian society. Why does James Otis feel that he has a moral duty to ask the government of India to make concessions in a bid to get the items?

— Ashwani Sharma

Ghaziabad