M A I L B A G

Time to elect the right candidates

Mr H.K. Dua’s front-page editorial “People must assert: Time to cleanse the system” (March 1) is a timely appeal to the voters to assert wisely and boldly while electing their representatives to the 14th Lok Sabha. He has rightly called upon the voters to resist “fear and favour” to elect the rulers of the right kind. Mr Dua’s “package of advice” to the voters is also noteworthy.

However, a vast majority of the voters is still illiterate, ignorant, unemployed and poor. These voters get easily misled by emotional appeals made on casteist, regional and communal lines. Money and muscle power also play their role.

Many a time the people vote for a political party without taking into consideration the background of the candidate. The print and the electronic media should organise a healthy debate on the ensuing elections. In particular, they should focus on the merits and demerits of all the candidates. This would help voters make a judicious choice of the candidates in the fray and exercise their franchise.

The political parties should also select the right candidates with a clean image. They should not give party tickets to those with criminal antecedents. I also feel that rallies and processions should be banned as these are very expensive. Why misguide and mesmerise the voters with false promises? The political parties should select candidates with a clean image.

SUDESH KUMAR SHARMA, Kapurthala

II

In his editorial “People must assert”, Mr H.K. Dua has given a clarion call to the voters to elect the right candidates. He has aptly suggested to the voters to question the candidates frankly and fairlessly to reveal their backgrounds so that they may know who is who and elect according to their judgement.

Here is a challenge to all those who dream of clean administration and good governance. Parliament is the sanctum sanctorum of our democracy. Its sanctity should not be allowed to be polluted by the ugly, the nasty and the petty. Every vote matters. Past wrongs committed by the elected representatives have made our people wiser. They will give the proof of their wisdom this time by electing the clean and rejecting the corrupt fearlessly.

Prof HARI SINGH, Kheri Jat (Jhajjar)

III

Unfortunately, even though India is the world’s largest democracy, people do not elect the right candidates. This, in a way, has weakened the democracy, raising questions on the calibre and quality of the elected representatives. Most of them, after being elected, behave like monarchs for five years. The people have no right to recall them for their acts of omission and commission. Corruption is the order of the day.

I doubt whether candidates with a clean state can ever be elected because criminals and rich people always dominate the electoral arena. An honest voter would rather like to boycott elections than to vote for such candidates. An ordinary man, despite all the qualifications, stands no chance of winning an election if he is not rich and resourceful enough to contest. Who will bell the cat in this dreadful environment?

KULWANT RIKHI, Patran (Patiala)

IV

Mr H.K. Dua has given a timely warning to the public and to the future government. Sadly, the party or the alliance that comes to power does not remember the promises made to the electorate in its manifesto. Huge black money gets circulated during the campaigning, but has anyone checked it?

The politicians themselves are not sincere and honest. See how senior leaders keep changing from one party to another without any principles. Mr H.K. Dua has correctly said “people must assert” in the ensuing elections. Otherwise, they can be cheated for the next five years.

SHER SINGH, Ludhiana

V

Mr H.K. Dua, in his editorial “People must assert”, has made four points which will help voters elect their representatives judiciously irrespective of their party affiliation and loyalty. I agree with Mr Dua that people will assert their will this time and they cannot be taken for granted by the politicians.

Paradoxically, though India has made rapid progress in various fields during the last 56 years, a lot remains to be done. Illiteracy, poverty, starvation and unemployment stare in the face of the nation like a monster.

It is not gold but people who can make a nation strong. So, time has come for the people to elect only those who can deliver the goods and to shunt out those who survive on the staple diet of hollow promises. The door will have to be shut for criminals who have infiltrated into almost all political parties. Mr Dua’s article will go a long way in helping us to decide the right candidates.

TARSEM S BUMRAH, Batala

VI

Mr H.K. Dua’s editorial “People must assert: Time to cleanse the system” is an eye-opener. He has made a threadbare analysis of the whole political scenario together with his pieces of advice to the voters.

I agree with Mr Dua that the time has come for the voters to use their franchise to cleanse the system of such people. They can, if they want to. They can do this in two ways: one by simply throwing out those who have been irresponsible or negligent in their duties as members of Parliament or the State Assemblies. The other by electing only those who have a clean image and can be true representatives of the people.

VIJAY SHEEL JAIN, Ludhiana