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THE Law Commission has finally given valuable suggestions for reducing the number of parties and independent candidates as contestants for the Lok Sabha or State Assemblies. The formal conversion into a 2-party or a maximum 3-party system now depends on the government. This report is likely to displease many smaller groups having vested interests.

The Commission has also suggested that pre-election alliances should file a declaration with the Election Commission confirming continuance of alliance during full term of Parliament/Assembly. These reforms were essential prior to declaration of general election.

The Samvedhanic Sudhar Forum had strongly pleaded for this 2-party concept repeatedly through the press and has also suggested it to the President as well as the Home Ministry. Since the suggestions from the Law Commission have come now and elections have been declared, a notification to this effect should be invited by the President from the present government. The second alternative is that any person filing his nomination must file a declaration based on his party position for loyalty to one of the main groups for a full term of five years. Any deviation should be considered a serious criminal offence.

Other reforms suggested by this Forum relate to a crime-free record of the candidate, party nominating a candidate to be responsible for his/her behaviour, declaration of assets along with nomination papers, educational background, record of service to society, permanent residence of the person during last 10 years in that area from where seeking elections and proper schooling and training to candidates seeking elections. Other important preconditions should also be incorporated while framing the law for overall electoral reforms.

Speed of Speed Post

I had applied for DOEACC’s C level examination. The first examination of the series was due last month — July 11, 12 and 13. But I could not appear in any of the examinations due to a delay on the part of the Postal Department. DOEACC had mailed me my examination ticket in time through the Speed Post service of the Postal Department. The Speed Post took 13 days to travel from Delhi to Ambala Cantt (One could cover the same distance on foot in four days!!).

Due to this delay Rs 1000 paid for the aforementioned examination as fees, has gone down the drain. This is besides the academic loss I have suffered. I fear there will be more victims like me. But who cares?

GAGAN BAGGA
Ambala Cantt

Apropos of the editorial “Recycling pledges” (August 17), with no fear of dissolution of the Lok Sabha or a state legislature for five years, our politicians — mostly unprincipled, power-hungry and opportunist — may engage themselves more in making and breaking governments by forging ever new alliances than in providing stable governance.

Helped further by rampant dissidence, factionalism, groupism and suitcase diplomacy, ambitious and wily politicians may not find even the German system (under which a no-confidence motion against an incumbent government is accompanied by a proposal for its alternative) too great a hurdle to cross.

May be it requires “radical surgery.” The presidential system alone may provide complete political stability to a large nation like ours, as it has provided to the USA for over 200 years (since 1789). The USA has three times the area of India and has at present 50 states.

The presidential system, with the executive independent of the legislature, brooking no undue interference by politicians, may also provide better and efficient administration. However, our present procedure of electing the President can be retained as it ensures equal participation of all the states and political parties through their MPs and MLAs and more often than not, a near-consensus candidate has been elected.

I was amazed that the writer of “Point of Law” column, “More on Satish Sharma”, has given the meaning of Trust in a purely legalist term to justify his point of view (August 16). The meaning of trust as per Oxford Dictionary is “firm belief that a person or thing may be relied on; confident; expectation; responsibility” in general terms. In the case of Satish Sharma, the President of India had put a trust on him that he will discharge his duties as a minister impartially within the framework of declared written policies of the government. Question before the court was whether Satish Sharma did his duties as a minister as per the trust of President/Government/People of India.

The writer has unnecessarily tried to twist the meaning of trust by comparing with trustee to confuse the readers or to justify his points. What would have happened if the court had used the word faith instead of trust? Dictionary meanings of both are the same.

The Tribune write-up “Una’s river of sorrow” (August 19), focusing attention on a chronic problem afflicting Una district makes exceedingly gloomy reading.

The incredibly wild Swan — the stream in question — along with its numerous tributaries plays havoc all around during every rainy season. The devastation thus caused is to be seen to be believed. The accursed problem gets aggravated year by year, thanks to the rapid denudation of hills and the resultant soil erosion in the catchment area.

The demand for taming the aforesaid wild agents of nature has, over the year, been raised by the aggrieved people with a shrill crescendo but with little success so far. It makes one all the sadder to learn that the patchwork done here and there by the authorities concerned is woefully substandard.

To my mind, the challenge posed by the problem inter alia, calls for intensive afforestation of the catchment area, mini earthen dams in the hilly tract, banning of free grazing by cattle in the sensitive catchment area. Operation canalisation alone would not click. The cost factor apart, the operation offers only a short-term solution of the problem.

	M A I L B A G	Monday, August 23, 1999
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