M A I L B A G

Voters have little choice in elections

In his article “Conspiracy of silence: Politicians are comfortable with corruption” (April 8), H. K. Dua, in his usual emotive idiom, gives a clarion call to the voters to cast aside their accursed smouldering and sinking in helplessness and slam their doors on the same old “five-yearly-visitor”. But it is what ought to be and there has been always an unbridgeable gap between what is and what ought to be. Moreover, there is little choice to be made as all of them belong to the same tribe of looters and fleecers in the guise of the servants of people.

At the same time, the voters too cannot be given a clean chit because they are like the mob in Julius Caeser who, just after listening to the rhetoric and elocution in Antony’s “ I come to bury Caeser”, unsheath their swords to kill Brutus.

The scenario is so depressing that one cannot take refuge even in this Tennysonian message:

“Oh yet we trust that somehow good

Will be the final goal of ill.”

Prof. SURJEET MANN, Sangrur

II

About five decades ago, Nikita Khrushchev, the head of Russian Communist Party, visited India along with Marshal Nikolai Bulganin, the President of the erstwhile USSR. When he visited a temple in Delhi, the temple priest whispered: “Our Bhagwan is great who has turned a nastik into an austik”. Khrushchev replied, “Bhagwan is really great. That is why the most corrupt nation is alive.”

It was, of course, the joke of the day. Corruption was there, but C. Rajgopalachari was the lonely voice of protest then. Now it has become the people’s voice, enabling H.K. Dua, the voice of the people, to censor the politicians.

PRAN SALHOTRA, Gurdaspur

III

Apparently, there is a tacit understanding among the politicians of all hues for keeping at arm’s length the issue of corruption in their election meetings. I am reminded of an incident in 1985 when I had been to Jalandhar. I saw on the wall election posters with photographs of candidates decoratively pasted on them. Nearby there was a film poster of the film “Hum Sab Chor Hein”. Any comments?

D.V. JOSHI, Bartana (Zirakpur)

IV

Over the years, corruption has been ingrained into our ethos. It is, however, naive to believe that only politicians are to blame for scams and the public suffers because of them. Every section of society, from rickshawpullers to scientists, reeks with corruption. Worse, all our spiritual leaders, i.e. brokers of God, see moksha in money. Hence, it is wrong to say that only politicians are polluted. The general public is equally plagued with the pestilence.

Only intrepid social workers can take on the malicious malady of Maya. Soldier-saints can revolutionise society by their concerted and sustained efforts. Sadly, the Gandhian policy of tolerance of evil is best evident in our attitude towards corruption. If the common man himself is honest, our public men will be forced to emulate Chanakya, the great Minister of Chandragupt Maurya, who lived a very austere life, even being the most powerful person of his times.

CHAMAN LAL KORPAL, Amritsar

V

Admittedly, not a single political party is devoid of corruption. It is for this reason that they are afraid of making corruption their main campaign agenda. Moreover, they themselves are reaping the harvest of corruption. They seem to be indifferent towards this issue with which many other problems are associated.

Corruption has become a way of life. When it is so common among all parties, how can we expect them to say publicly against each other on the issue of corruption? The solution lies in choosing those with a cleam image, decency and honesty.

NAVDEEP SINGH BHATIA, Khanna (Ludhiana) 

VI

I agree with H.K. Dua that Tehelka has faded out of politician’s memory and now Mr Bangaru Laxman is being rewarded with a Lok Sabha ticket for his wife. I endorse the writer’s view that the doctrine of mutual accommodation on the issue of corruption has been evolved by the political parties primarily because none of them has a clean reputation.

ONKAR CHOPRA, New Delhi

VII

India is among the first few most corrupt countries. This is shameful. Indira Gandhi once said, “Corruption is not merely prevalent in India; it is a worldwide phenomenon.” True, but any amount of complacency in its eradication is disastrous and has serious implications on our national health and well-being.

Like fluids, corruption flows from upper level to the lower level and never the other way round. Usually, politicians receive pay-offs from businessmen who, in turn, earn many times more. In politics, transparency and accountability have suffered a serious setback. If checked at the higher level, corruption will steadily vanish at the lower levels.

IQBAL SINGH, Bijhari