M A I L B A G

Products of an ailing system

IN his article “Saving Taj from Mayawati” (Sept 12), Jagmohan has made a sincere exposure of our ailing society. Indira Gandhi once said that corruption has become an international phenomenon, but it is the magnitude of this affliction in our country that is cause for worry.

We blame military governments for corrupt and dictatorial governance. Having dealt with military rulers in Nigeria for well over a decade, I feel authoritative governance is necessary for efficient and clean administration. The many ills from which our society suffers can only be checked if our diverse polity, bureaucracy and judiciary live up to society’s expectations.

I wrote to Jagmohan once about a proposed multi-faceted tourism complex at the foot of Bachhretu Hill (Bilaspur district, Himachal Pradesh) facing the Govindsagar lake, to promote year-round tourist activity. As the Union Tourism Minister at that time, he asked the Himachal government to consider it and sent a personal note to me, confirming the action taken.

Brig H.S. CHANDEL (retd.), Una

II

The article is well written, but the writer has dealt with the ailment only and has not suggested any remedy. The Mayawatis, the Laloos, the Mulayams, the Buta Singhs and many others are the byproducts of our ailing electoral system in which the value of a D. Litt scholar’s vote is equal to that of an illiterate’s vote.

A system, which is badly infected by the serious ailment like caste-based reservation, can only yield persons like Mayawati. If we have to get rid of the corrupt leaders, some minimum educational qualification would have to be prescribed for the voters and the candidates contesting the elections — from the post of Sarpanch up to the 
President of India.

Simultaneously, the most unethical and impractical policy of caste-based reservations would have to be scrapped altogether. Otherwise, the system would keep on producing persons like Mayawati.

A.K. SHARMA, Chandigarh

III

There is need to overhaul the administrative machinery. We must adopt a system of governance which will have more teeth. Bureaucratic red tape, police non-performance and excesses, judicial delays and political interference will have to be eliminated.

Once the administrative machinery is tuned to cope with the people’s changing needs and the law enforcing agencies put the fear of law into everyone’s minds by prompt and just actions, corruption will disappear automatically.

The criminals will feel the heat of the law resulting in the reduction in crime rate, which will set in motion the cycle of improvement in the quality of administration. We are lucky to have a Prime Minister like Dr Manmohan Singh. The need of the hour is administrative reforms.

Brig W.S. CHOUDARY (retd), Panchkula

IV

The writer has rightly held the corrupt leaders responsible for bringing the polity and administration to disrepute. There is no missionary zeal among the leaders to serve the people, but only to loot the taxpayers’ money by hook or by crook. If this is the trend, democracy will not succeed.

However, one need not be too pessimistic. There is a ray of hope. If we inculcate moral values and courage in the minds of the younger generation, we will have a new breed of political leaders free from corruption.

RIKHI DASS THAKUR, Palbhu (Hamirpur)

The core question

The recent happenings at Gurgaon and Gohana exhibit the total failure of the state machinery. Terror has been struck unabashedly at both places located in the National Capital Region of Haryana. Whether it is politically motivated or engineered by a mob is not relevant. The core question is why do such happenings occur with sickening regularity?

Due respect and recognition should be given to all the classes in society in tune with our constitutional pledge to make India march forward.

BHARAT KARNAL, Karnal