M A I L B A G

People should ostracise corrupt leaders

in his front-page editorial “Some bare truths” (March 23), H.K. Dua has stressed the need to check the politicians’ mania for power and save the country from disaster. While endorsing President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s deep concern, he exhorted those politicians who collude with the corrupt, the criminals and the crooked to refrain from dubious motives of political adventurism.

During the last three decades, both the ruling and Opposition MPs have been showing little concern for the Constitution, the country and the people. Their lust for power has increased so much that they forget to perform their constitutional duties.

These self-seeking politicians, barring a few, are reducing the country into a banana republic. They should be ostracised. The people, the media and the intelligentsia should launch a campaign for disciplined and responsible behaviour on the part of the representatives.

Dr RAJKUMAR SIWACH, Lecturer (Public Admn), Chaudhury Devi Lal University, Sirsa (Haryana)

II

Mr Dua’s editorial reminds me of Henry George’s comment: “When democracy becomes corrupt, the best gravitates to the bottom, the worst floats to the top, and the vile is replaced by more vile”. This gives an insight into the present degrading political situation.

India is a mature democracy. However, it is confronted with several problems like mushrooming of political parties, corruption, nepotism and dangerous trends like communalisation and criminalisation of politics. Apparently, the founding fathers of our Constitution did not foresee the state of the Indian polity beyond 50 years.

As democracy is an oil lamp that will continue to be lit by people from generation to generation, we are yet to elect the right persons to lead the nation. We should take measures to tighten the noose against the incompetent and corrupt politicians and establish a clean and transparent system.

JAGTAR SINGH, IDAS (retd), Mohali

III

Politics, once a mission to serve the people, has now become a commodity and commercial business. Parliament, which is supposed to guide the destiny of nation, has become an arena for mudslinging and din by some unscrupulous politicians. A criminal can very easily get elected as MP or MLA today. What an irony! Is it a democracy or kleptocracy?

The Westminster model of parliamentary democracy adopted by us for governance is a failure. The system of universal adult franchise for right to vote needs rethinking and modification. It is time we switched over to the Presidential form of government (American model) with a biparty system.

Wg-Cdr GURMAIT SINGH (retd), Chandigarh

IV

If one seeks to know the extent of degeneration that has engulfed our country, one may quote the late Benigno Aquino about the Philippines: “Here is a land in which a few are spectacularly rich while the masses remain abjectly poor. Where freedom and its blessings are a reality for a minority and an illusion for the many…a land consecrated to democracy but a land of privilege and rank…a republic dedicated to equality but mired in an archaic system of caste”. This may sound trivial but no one can deny it.

If the common man still matters, is it too much to expect our leaders to behave in a responsible manner?

P.L. SETHI, Patiala

V

The act of administering oath as MP to a criminal just an hour after the President’s speech was really shameful. If this is the state of affairs today, how can we make India of everyone’s dream?

If an opinion poll is conducted today, politicians will be at the bottom of the ladder as they are mostly related to those with corrupt and criminal backgrounds. The entry of criminals to Parliament and State Assemblies must be banned to save democracy.

JAGMOHAN & SONIKA SHARMA, Bhatoli (Una)

Raw deal for education The Punjab Budget has done little to primary education. The Punjab Finance Minister has promised to goad private schools to provide free education to poor children. He, however, does not know the ground situation. Poor children study only in government schools as they cannot afford education in private schools. People are aware of the state of affairs in government schools, but they have no alternative. There are thousands of vacancies and inadequate infrastructure in these schools, but who cares? The Budget has done injustice to primary education. SURESH KUMAR, Malerkotla

Plot owners’ woes

The Himachal Pradesh government is planning to ban the construction of buildings on a land area less than 1000 sq. meters in Shimla. It has banned raising of buildings on the valley side on the National Highway and other important roads. These curbs are adversely affecting the interests of the plot owners who raised buildings prior to this notification.

The government has not taken action against the Solan Housing Board though it is raising a commercial building on the valley side much above five feet of the road level, which is the limit prescribed by it.

The ends of justice will be met only if the government allows those who raised buildings prior to the notification. If not, it should fairly compensate the victims with money according to the market price so that they can buy suitable plots.

SANTOSH KUMARI, Anji, near Barog railway station (Solan)