Time to redefine and rethink

SAI R. Vaidyanathan in the article "Time to redefine the Republic" (May 2) rightly expressed anxiety over short-lived governments in the country.

What one sees today in this land of the 50 per cent of whom do not know where the next meal will come from is the result of some 47 years rule (or proxy rule) of the Congress, which is adept in the art of pulling down governments. Starting with the Charan Singh Government it demolished the governments of Chandra Shekhar, Deve Gowda and Gujral on one pretext or the other.

The fact of the matter is that, attuned to living in the cosy comfort of power and to amassing wealth through corruption, the Congress finds it impossible to sit in the Opposition. Corruption opened its face in this country with Rs 216 crore financial scandal implicating India’s first High Commissioner to the U.K. Krishana Menon, Nehru’s blue-eyed boy. After that there was no looking back. More than the foreign rulers of yesteryears, it is the Congress brand of political operators who have inflicted serious blows to the body politic. These are not matters of mere debate. We have to address ourselves to the problem and cleanse the system.

To make sure as to who is with which alliance formation, they may announce their "shadow cabinets" before going to the polls. That would rid the nation of treacherous allies like Jayalalitha and Mayawati.

S.S. JAIN
Chandigarh

II

All the suggestions made by the writer are made keeping in mind a hung parliament wherein a coalition minority government, with outside support, is in the saddle. In case we are looking for permanent political stability, then these suggestions — comprising patch-work solutions, shall not hold water. What we need is a permanent remedy which lies in either enforcing a two-party parliamentary system or else a presidential form of government. No amount of well-thought of pre-poll after-poll opportunist alliances or seat adjustments are going to bless us with mature form of governance because of the kind of politicians we have at our disposal. With a majority of this self-seeking lot being slippery customers, we the people of India must join together to teach them a lesson by judiciously using our individual power of votes.

ONKAR CHOPRA
Delhi

III

Instead of appreciating the B.J.P. for forging pre-poll alliances in 1998, the Centre has accused it unjustly of nursing a desire to somehow rule at the Centre. His bias against the BJP became evident when he failed to highlight the dubious role of the Congress and the Left parties to pull down a government by the narrowest margin with the help of the AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalitha. Bhangra, fire-works etc. in jubilation led to an anti-climax when they failed to provide an alternative even when the President gave them a long rope.

The opposition made a laughing stock of itself by trying hard to instal a government with such disparate element as Mulayam and Mayawati; Janata Dal and Laloo Yadav; TMC and AIADMK. They must have realised that it is easier to demolish than to reconstruct.

Instead of redefining the Republic, let our irresponsible politicians mend their ways. Only pre-poll alliances are valid. Post-poll patch-ups are opportunistic, unprincipled and immoral.

In the forthcoming elections to the Lok Sabha, I am sure the voters will give a clear-cut mandate to either B.J.P.-led alliance or the one led by the Congress.

S.K. SHARMA
Hoshiarpur

Versatile Pran

Apropos of M.L. Dhawan’s article "The varied shades of villainy" (April 25), the writer is wrong in stating that Pran played a role in Junglee. The main villain in Junglee was Rajan Haksar. Moreover, Pran’s Heer Ranjha was released in 1970 and not recently as mentioned by the writer.

Pran gave different shades to villainy in Hindi films. He made circles of smoke after puffing cigarette in Bedard Zamana Kaya Jane. In Maryada, he rotated cigarette from one corner of his lip to another. He repeatedly smelt perfume from the handkerchief hidden beneath the cuff of his coat in Kab Kayon Aur Kahan. He mixed comedy with villainy in films like Half Ticket, Pathar Ke Sanam and Dus Lakh. He did pure comedy in films like Ek Kunwari Ek Kunwara, Victoria No. 203, Kasauti and Lafange. He played a tragic role in Yadgaar. He has also played memorable roles in films like Shaheed, Sadhu Aur Shaitan, Purab Aur Paschim, Chhalia, Do Badan, Aurat, Adhikar, Gaddar, Lakhon Mein Ek, Nanha Farishta, Humjoli, Shankar Dada, Beimaan, Ganga Tera Pani Amrit and Dharma. He even played a triple role in Jungle Mein Mangal.

Pran has played a villain opposite all the main heroes of his time. Surprisingly, he looked more handsome than his heroes in films like Brahmchari, Bluff Master, Mere Sanam, Gumnaam, Love in Tokyo, Door Ki Awaaz, An Evening in Paris and Parde Ke Peechhay. In the sixties, almost every film starred Pran as the main villain with or without Mehmood as comedian and Helen as vamp. After he switched over to character roles with Upkaar, his last film as a villain was Roop Tera Mastana (1972). After a gap of about 12 years, he was once again persuaded to play the role of a villain in the Dalip Kumar’s starrer Duniya (1984). Every villain of Indian film industry regards Pran Saab as his mahaguru. Besides Malang Chacha of Upkaar, Pran’s role of a paan-chewing Banne Khan Bhopali in Adhikar was also much appreciated. He won Filmfare Awards for his sterling performance in Upkaar, Aansoo Ban Gaye Phool, Adhikar and Beimaan.

ASHWINI BHASKAR
Yamunanagar

For the love of astrology

This refers to the letter ‘Bitter pills all the way’ by Mr R.N. Malik (April 25).

The writer seems to know little about Sansar Chandra who is not only a scholar of eminence in Hindi, Sanskrit, Urdu and English but also an outstanding astrologer. Astrology is his legacy and is not an earning profession for him. He is drawn to it for the love of this science.

Sansar Chandra’s predictions about the specific issues of national and international affairs have been flawlessly accurate, presented in clear and unequivocal terms. He has been engaged in the pursuit of the science of astrology for over four decades. I know of his deep interest in astrology and literature for the last 38 years, when both of us were inducted into the Senate of the Panjab University as fellows in 1960.

JIWAN TEWARI
Mohali

A convenient nuisance

After reading "Fascination, menace and the phone" by Adil Jussawalla (April 4), I am reminded of the following:

Utility is when you have one telephone, luxury is when you have two, opulence is when you have three and paradise is when you have none. A sociologist has described the telephone as the greatest nuisance among conveniences and the greatest convenience among nuisances.

ROSHNI JOHAR
Shimla

Realising the self

This refers to the article "The individual’s need for self-actualisation" by A P N Pankaj (April 25). Self-actualisation means giving the best performance. This happens when you are motivated not by the rewards, you are likely to get when you work but by the work itself. In other words, one starts working for the sake of work only.

You can see this in sports in particular, everybody tries to outperform. Interestingly, in sports if anybody performs less then 100 per cent the results are quite evident at that moment only (in form of poor performance).

We feel our best when we are at our best. With peak concentration comes self-esteem. With total involvement comes exaltation. I am not talking of success here, I am talking of happiness. If one enjoys what one does, there can’t be a better proposition to be happy.

MUNISH BEHL
Panchkula