BJP: unanswered questions

  THIS refers to Mr Anand Prakash’s rejoinder (October 30) to Mr Hari Jaisingh’s article “BJP’s patchwork politics: citizens left high and dry” (October 23). In response to the writer’s observation that “there is hardly any difference between the BJP and the Congress”, the letter writer has stated that unlike in the immediate post-1947 phase, the masses are not bubbling with nationalistic feelings now and that the BJP, owing to a lack of an absolute majority in Parliament, has to face pressures from its alliance partners.

I do not find Mr Anand Prakash’s arguments very convincing. He should not have forgotten that there are a number of areas in which the BJP is free from the influence of the above factors, and yet it has failed to do anything appreciable.

For instance, what was its compulsion in appointing its committed members as Governors of certain states? It is worth recalling that the party used to criticise the Congress when the latter used to do a similar thing.

Who or what forced the BJP to give the party ticket for the Lok Sabha and the state assembly elections to criminals?

And then why do the BJP ministers not cut government expenditure by adopting austerity measures?

Why do the ministers of the main ruling party not take steps to remove corruption from their departments (at least)?

One more point, when the BJP supporters hold the lack of nationalistic feelings among the masses responsible for their party’s failure, why do they forget that this factor prevailed even during the regimes of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Mr PV Narasimha Rao? Why, then, do they not give the same benefit to them while constantly cursing them for their failures?

SURENDRA MIGLANI
Kaithal

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Phone users’ woes

The proposed increase in telephone charges is shocking. The Communication Tariff Commission does not have any business to suggest a further increase in telephone charges when the department is already making a huge profit at the expense of the poor man.

Every year the government increases the telephone charges in one form or the other. At times there is an increase in the call rates. Another year the duration rate is increased and then the next year there is a hike in rentals, and the year after that service tax goes up. And after the STD rates are enhanced followed by an increase in the pulse rate. The increase is unending. One way or the other the government is squeezing the people on a basic service which is supposed to be provided without profit.

What is a greater shock is the way the MTNL is making profits and that too after a decline in the services to the subscribers and a colossal amount of wastage by the department. This only shows the way the government is looting the public. Senior officers of the MTNL enjoy two facilities: one being those enjoyed by central government officers and the other being those accruing to the public sector companies. They get the best of both worlds at the expense of the poor. Servants, houses and furniture are free.

In terms of the real value of money, Indian telephones are the most expensive in the world. India is among the countries with the lowest per capita income and everything has to be measured on the scale of the lowest paid and not the dollar-exchange rate which every bureaucrat likes to do to get more spending money for the department.

An increase in the telephone rates does not affect the MPs, the ministers, the government servants and the judges because they get this service free. The business houses very conveniently pass on the increase to the public by raising the input costs. The final burden falls only on the rest of society; the poor man. Day by day his buying capacity is declining. This will slowly affect the corporate sector when the economy, which has become hollow, will collapse. An increase in tariff may be the last straw on the camel’s back.

What is required is this: reduce to half the costs of telephones; make call rates and rentals inexpensive so that the economy gets a boost; tariff should be structured in such a way that it should be one-third of the cost of the lowest bus or train ticket.

K. VIJAYALAKSHMI
President, All-India Mahila Front
New Delhi

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Prices: govt's apathy

The Tribune survey on the rising prices ("Govt sleeps as consumer weeps", Oct 27) presents an accurate picture of people's woes due to the steep rise in the prices of onions, potatoes, tomatoes, etc. Afraid of annoying the traders, the government has adopted a soft approach towards this burning issue, thus ending the magical spell the BJP had cast over the educated masses on the eve of elections. There should have been a heavy crackdown on hoarders in the very beginning. Besides this, the government should have opened its counters across the country, selling vegetables at normal prices.

The BJP had the image of an honest and transparent party in comparison to the others. But it must be understood that the deity of honesty with a negative approach may bring more harm than can be caused by the demon of corruption. Non-performance cannot be granted as a privilege to the honest and the transparent. Action-packed performance is essential for every government if it wants to survive.

JAGVIR GOYAL
Bathinda

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Canadian clarification

This refers to the report “Canada lowers age for immigration” (October 24). I am writing to clarify a number of inaccuracies in it.

The report relates that a Press conference was held in Chandigarh on October 23, 1998, by Lieut-Col. BS Sandhu, Managing Director of Worldwide Immigration Consultancy Services (WWICS), to discuss the recent changes in the Canadian immigration policy. In particular, it is stated that the age for immigration to Canada has been reduced from 44 years to 35, that the minimum qualification has been raised to graduation, that knowledge of both French and English is mandatory, and that processing fees will be raised.

Contrary to the assertions contained in the write-up, no changes have recently been made affecting the selection factors of age, linguistic ability and educational attainment. Nor are there any plans to raise the processing fees. It has been the case for a number of years that independent applicants between the age 21 and 44 years receive the maximum units of assessment available for the factor of age. There simply is no cut-off point of age 35 years as is implied in the article. It is similarly misleading to say that graduation and knowledge of French and English are mandatory, though obviously an applicant who possesses greater education and linguistic ability is more likely to be successful.

B. Beaupre
Deputy Immigration Program Manager
and Counsellor, Canadian High Commission,
New Delhi

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Damaged roads

The Telecommunication Department every now and then digs metalled roads to lay new cables. The pity is that it remains uncovered for many days. When it is covered with mud and stones it is not made smooth, making the movement of vehicular traffic and pedestrians troublesome. The digging is going on at Bhunter (Kulu) these days.

The department may be advised to fill in the dug portion immediately and make it smooth so that the area does not remain dusty for a long period.

POONAM GUPTA
Bhunter (Kulu)