M A I L B A G

Governors or agents of Centre?

The role of Governors and Speakers has always been questionable. (“President’s rule at last!: But Goa Governor must act impartially”, editorial, March 7). It is an open secret that Governors always try to act at the Centre’s bidding as its agents. In the process, they have made a mockery of the Constitution.

The malaise started after Indira Gandhi’s dictatorial style of functioning from South Block. She used Governors to topple non-Congress governments at her will and against all established norms. The same is the case with the Speakers who always try to bail out the ruling party whenever the ministry’s majority in the State Assembly is in doubt.

I endorse the editorial view that the Speaker should not have the power to disqualify a member whenever the Assembly is convened to take up the vote of confidence. The Anti-Defection Act needs to be amended to enforce this. The Constitution should also be amended to the effect that the Governors should direct Chief Ministers to seek a vote of confidence in, say, two or three days’ time.

Major NARINDER SINGH JALLO (retd), Mohali

II

The Governors of Goa and Jharkhand could not have abused the Constitution without the instructions of the Congress High Command. The Congress’ political culture and hunger for power stand exposed before the nation following the dubious role of the Governors.

MULTAN SINGH PARIHAR, Jalari (Hamirpur)

III

Sadly, politics has become the last resort of scoundrels. The way politicians of all hues are behaving to grab power is disgusting. Democratic norms have been “slaughtered” by power drunk leaders.

Candidly speaking, the present-day politicians are themselves responsible for the maladies confronting the world’s largest democracy. While I was writing this letter, a quiet tune was coming from a nearby radio: Jine naaz hai Hind par who kahan hai…

Gone with the wind!

D.V. JOSHI, Bartana (Zirakpur)

IV

After the Goa incident, the Jharkhand episode is yet another blot on our democracy. The way the Shibu Soren government was installed there shows the abuse of Governor’s powers by Syed Sibtey Razi.

The Governors are disrobing our democracy like Draupadi of the Mahabharata, with the President, the Prime Minister and many others having watched the developments as silent spectators.

Dr S.K. AGGARWAL, Amritsar

Lalit Kala Akademi

In January, 2005, the Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi took a noble initiative by asking the local artists to donate some of their art works so that those could be put in a sale exhibition. The sale proceeds were to be donated to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for tsunami victims. The response was very encouraging. The Akademi should have been courteous enough to at least respond with a letter of thanks to all the donors after the show. Strangely, it forgot to inform even those artists whose works were sold. In case artists want to claim income-tax relief on their donations, they would need a document to support their claims.

BALVINDER, Chandigarh                          

Disband the board

In his article “PSSSB a drain as ban on recruitments on”, Sarabjit Dhaliwal has judiciously examined how our government is accommodating the members of the PSSSB, politically or otherwise. The article exposes the fact that though the government has enough money to accommodate politicians and influential retired persons, it refuses to give jobs to deserving unemployed youth.

If the Punjab government has no money, it should disband such a board and save crores of rupees. Why spend lakhs of rupees every month on maintaining the PSSSB which is unable to appoint anyone due to the ban on recruitments since April 24, 2002?

H.S. SARKARIA, Amritsar