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Anti-defection law needs to be amended

V Eshwar Anand’s article, “Defections: Need to revisit the Act” (Nov 10) was apt and timely. It rightly urges the government to amend the existing anti-defection law, as it has miserably failed to prevent the MPs and MLAs from defecting at will. The dirty game being played in Karnataka politics needs to be condemned in harsher tones. Any individual or a handful of members belonging to a political party cannot join any other party without resigning from the first party, in the name of defection.

The government should evolve a foolproof system in respect of anti-defection law. If an MP or an MLA thinks that his party is not functioning as per the norms/rules of the party, he is free to defect to any other party he thinks is good. But he should resign from the party and seek re-election as a candidate of another party. That will be a valid procedure to change parties. This should be the basis of defection.

There should also be a committee of citizens/voters to monitor the performance of their elected representatives. If this committee thinks that their MPs or MLAs performance is not up to the mark, then it should have the power to recall its representative through the Election Commission and field other candidates in the by-elections.

R K KAPOOR, Chandigarh

II

N.K. Singh in his article “Law shouldn’t stifle legislators’ right of dissent” (Nov 10), basically on anti-defection law, rightly speaks of the flaws of fiat or whip issued to the legislators. It would be futile sending brilliant persons to Parliament or state legislatures if the parties do not allow them to offer their independent views or vote as per their conscience. The provision of party whip that binds the members to toe the party line is undemocratic and should be scrapped to allow free flow of views.

In the US, I understand, this provision is not there. Scrapping the provision will strengthen democracy and improve quality of debates in Parliament and the state assemblies.

Wg Cdr C.L. SEHGAL (retd), Jalandhar

E-security

The use of Blackberry services in India is a major problem for the security system of India. Eleven lakh people in India are using blackberry. If we want to control criminal activities in India, we must take care of Blackberry. Its founder RIM has already declared that the data of Blackberry services cannot be encrypted. Our security system can decrypt only 40 bits data. The Blackberry services are already using 128 bits.

Our security agencies are unable to trace the calls of 11 lakh Blackberry users in India. If we want to control terrorist activities in India, we must look deeply into this matter.

ATUL VERMA, Narwana

Adarsh loot

The Adarsh Housing Society scam has revealed that moral decay has set in the defence forces hitherto considered the bastion of honesty, righteousness and integrity. This trend has sullied and diminished the reputation of the uniform and is causing a great deal of anguish. The feeling among the general public is that patriotism and valour, the two defining characteristics of the defence forces have been compromised.

The involvement of the senior officers is most disgraceful. The pertinent question to ask is: How it happened and how no one saw it happening and left it to the media to expose the scam? The guilty must be prosecuted under the Army law. A military court martial which may be extended to the retired, would carry more credibility than a civil court trial.

LIEUT (I.N.) SUKHDEV SINGH GILL (retd), Jagraon 

Educate daughters Perneet Singh and Charu Singh’s article “Saving the girl child” (Nov 5) has aptly endeavoured to spread awareness about the concept of Nanhi Chhan. A brainchild of Fortis Health Care Chairman Harpal Singh, Nanhi Chhan is broad-based in nature and scope as it includes female foeticide, environment conservation and promotion of secularism. This blend is innovative, viable and meaningful. Though the law to curb female foeticide may be a deterrent to some extent, it has failed to change the mindset of the parents who still prefer a male child. The obsessive preference for a son must go if the problem of female foeticide is to be tackled. It is imperative that the female child be educated and provided the same opportunities as a male child. Daughters should be taught to push for excellence. Recently, during her visit to India, the US First Lady Michelle Obama, attributed her position to her parents’ insistence on education and sticking to strong values they gave her. There is an old saying in Punjabi, “Dheeyan mangan maa-baap da sukh, munde vandan zamina” (Daughters pray for the happiness of parents, sons distribute property among themselves). The Nanhi Chhan movement is worth propagating in the best interest of our society. SOSHIL RATTAN, Amritsar.