M A I L B A G

Need to restore people’s faith in democracy

President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s exhortations are timely and sound. They reflect the agitated state of mind of an ordinary citizen. Thus, the legislature, the executive and the judiciary should view them in the right spirit and act accordingly.

The distortions, as pointed out by Mr H.K. Dua, in his front-page editorial “Some bare truths” (March 23), are glaring especially in the aftermath of the happenings in Jharkhand and Goa. The President rightly asked the legislators to clean up the system by making new laws.

Raising a hue and cry against judicial activism won’t help. Instead, this energy should be utilised constructively to prevent the bad elements from contesting the elections. This is the only way to restore the people’s faith in parliamentary democracy.

SUSHIL K. KAUSHAL, Ludhiana

II

The Indian Constitution is based on the Westminster model and the Government of India Act, 1935. While it is a fine document, its success depends upon the maturity of the electorate and the quality of the representatives. Sadly, the biological functioning of the statute was beset with convulsions from day one, when political sight focussed on elections as the be-all and end-all of everything.

V.I.K. SHARMA, IAS (retd), Jalandhar City

III

Mere ethical approach and sermons will not serve any purpose unless institutions like Ombudsman and independent investigating agencies, completely free from political interference, are established in our country. The Supreme Court’s recent directive to the CBI to hand over the records of the Taj Corridor case to the Central Vigilance Commission is an eye-opener. Electoral reforms need to be hastened to check the entry of criminals into the legislatures. Otherwise, the people will be disillusioned, eroding their faith in the democratic process.

SUBHASH CHANDER SHARMA, Panchkula

IV

The President’s concern is perfectly justified. Criminalisation of politics has deprived the talented youths of their participation in managing the affairs of the state. Most of those inducted in the provincial civil and police services are related to the politicians. Without recommendation, one cannot get even a clerical post. Constitutional bodies, which make the selections, have become handmaidens of the ruling party.

Take the case of Haryana. Close relatives of high-ups have reportedly grabbed jobs, depriving the highly qualified and talented ones of their right to employment. If this goes unchecked, there will be chaos and disorder. There is no use of spending crores in the elections every five years when democracy itself is in peril.

A.P. SHARMA, Panchkula

Lacklustre Budget

The Punjab Budget is disappointing. It has left both employees and pensioners high and dry. Having presented four Budgets during its 37-month rule, the Amarinder Singh government has failed to fulfil even a single promise made by the Congress party in its election manifesto in February 2002.

The government has taken several unjust decisions. These include, among other things, pension commutation formula, withdrawal of benefit of house rent allowance from either the husband or the wife if both are employees, withdrawal of higher grades from school teachers with higher qualifications, denial of pensionary benefits to government-aided school staff retiring after May, 2003 and reduction in grant for government-aided private colleges.

YASH PAUL GHAI, Ludhiana

II

The Punjab Government has rightly decided to withdraw the cess on petrol and diesel. While it was unable to justify the need for this cess from day one, its plan to raise Rs 100 crore towards the Agriculture Development Fund was unconvincing. The international oil prices are not under our control and we can hardly do anything about it. When the Centre has lifted excise duty on petrol, the state government had no right to punish the farming community with the cess.

Dr GURINDERPAL SINGH KHAIRA, Hoshiarpur