Search for stability

APROPOS of Mr Hari Jaisingh’s article “Search for stability” (April 30), I think the key factor responsible for the present political instability is the power which the President has for asking the ruling party to seek a “vote of confidence”.

From the point of view of management it is superfluous as in the event of the ruling party being defeated, he has to approach the Opposition in any case to form an alternative government. It, therefore, makes a greater sense if, instead of asking the ruling party to secure a “vote of confidence”, he straightaway asks the Opposition to move a motion of no-confidence against the ruling party after declaring the name of the alternative Prime Minister.

For the sake of greater stability it can be laid down that such a motion shall require 55 per cent majority to succeed. Had he done so, the political scenario would have been as under:-

While moving the motion of no-confidence, the Opposition would have most probably proposed the name of Mrs Sonia Gandhi as the alternative Prime Minister. This motion would have been defeated as she would have secured only 233 votes against the 269 by the present Prime Minister. The Vajpayee government would have continued to remain in office as it had secured a comfortable margin of (269-233) 36 votes.

The President would have been saved the botheration of a week-long hunt for a stable government, and the battle of numbers would have been rightly fought in the Lok Sabha and not in Rashtrapati Bhavan. Last but not the least, our poor nation would have been spared the agony and expense of a mid-term poll. And there would have been no question of any slowing down of reforms because of there being a caretaker government for many months.

Let political pundits and parties debate if the suggestion of curtailing the superfluous power of the President would not be a step towards greater stability and hence towards no mid-term poll.

S.P. MALHOTRA
Panchkula

Stumbling block: Had our leaders shown some sagacity and prudence the mid-term poll foisted on the nation could have been avoided.

Now the search for stability demands total overhaul of the system. Only national parties can claim to offer stability. Regional parties with local aspirations will always remain in search of new friends and not offer any worthwhile stability.

Independents, who could not remain under the discipline of a party, cannot remain a disciplined partner of a coalition. They will always shuttle or the threaten to shuttle from one side to the other. So, Independents will remain in stumbling block on the road to stability. Those who believe in money and muscle power can never be true to any system.

Prophet Mohammad has rightly said:

A camel can pass through the eye of a needle, but a rich man cannot enter the gates of heaven.

Poor and common people, who are the real wielders of power in a democratic system, should not allow such rich men to enter the gates of the Lok Sabha if they are serious about stability.

JASMINE DEOL
Kapurthala

Good suggestions: Some good and practicable suggestions have been given in the article “Search for stability” of the government. The West German practice — which was quoted by Mr L.K. Advani in the Lok Sabha during the discussion on the confidence motion — where a no-confidence motion must name the person who will lead the successor government can be followed to avoid frequent elections.

The alternative of inviting a person to form a government through the election of the leader of the House on the floor of Parliament can be followed, when the government is still to be formed after fresh elections, and no combination is able to give convincing proof of forming a stable government.

It would be unfair to blame the politicians alone. Voters are also equally responsible for the rot, as they elect unscrupulous persons as their representatives in the Lok Sabha and the Vidhan Sabhas. If we want a good government, we must elect persons of integrity, rising above narrow considerations.

ANAND PRAKASH
Panchkula

Shifting of loyalties: It may be pointed out that too many political parties have made it difficult for the electorate to select the right type of representatives. This has caused instability in the country. Again, due to selfish politicians, whose main aim is to acquire posts and power. They frequently shift loyalty. There should be provision in the anti-defection law that any leader who wants to shift loyalty should first resign and seek re-election.

R. KISHORE
New Delhi

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Loot at STD booths

The Department of Telecommunications deserves appreciation for one revolutionary change it has introduced in the form of STD/ISD booths all over India. This is a healthy departure from the normal benchmark of telecom progress in terms of the number of phones per 1,000 population, an irrelevant concept in India where what matters is not ownership but access to telephones. However, in their actual operations, some of these booths take the public for a ride.

Not all equipment is properly calibrated to charging tariff-time zones. In a number of units a minute comprises of 55 and not 60 seconds! One has to be extra-cautious at the STD booths near bus and railway stations and air terminals when passengers in a hurry pay whatever is demanded (in one case the meter was set for international rates for local calls!).

Public booth equipment is supposed to be checked periodically. However, this is seldom done. One reason is that a number of these STD booths are known to be under benami ownership of Telephone Department employees — an Indian version of privatisation! It should be admitted that this works out to the advantage of the public, as STD booth lines are seldom out of order even when neighbourhood phones are down!

Recently, a scheme of Virtual Phone Cards, enabling individual subscribers access to STD facilities from their STD-barred phones at home, was introduced. These cards are found to be virtually ineffective as the facility is not working during holidays and low-call rate hours.

M.R. PAI
Mumbai

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Sonia factor

Through the columns of this newspaper, I express my deep anguish over the reported move of the BJP and its allies to “project” Mrs Sonia Gandhi as a foreigner in the ensuing elections. This is senseless and totally unfair. To call her foreigner is a monumental insult to the lady whose mother-in-law and husband laid down their lives at the altar of the country.

She is not new to the Indian masses. She is a household entity. Political parties opposed to Mrs Sonia Gandhi must not forget that the assassination of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi left a deep scar on the minds of our people and they are eager to translate their gratitude for the Nehru family by loving and respecting the Bahu.

In the last few years people's respect for the Congress has definitely dwindled to a large extent. But their love for the dynasty is still very much intact.

S.K. BAJAJ
Abohar