L E T T E R S    T O    T H E    E D I T O R

Communism is not dead yet

This is in reference to your editorial “Reds shine in Shimla” dated May 31, 2012. After the debacle of the Left Front government in West Bengal, there has been a common perception that Communism has withered away in India. But the wheels of history have changed and the CPM grabbed the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor. Reasons for the debacle of the Congress and the BJP, the main contenders in the MC elections, are not far to seek.

Both the parties have the same economic policies to be dictated by foreign masters. Politically, LK Advani admitted this fact in public that if the people are disappointed with the Congress, they are not happy with the BJP. There is no doubt in this statement.

Consequent to these policies, the economy of the country grew by just 5.3 per cent during the last quarter of fiscal 2011-12. This has been the lowest growth rate recorded in any quarter during the past three years. Owing to these anti-people policies, people are facing skyrocketing prices. There is an alarming position of unemployment in the country. In brief, people are terribly aggrieved with the policies of both these national parties. During all these years especially since the introduction of so-called economic reforms started way back in the year 1991, the poor are becoming poorer and rich-richer.

The left victory has shown that communism has survived and is thriving through the ideas of socialism and welfare state it created in its time. As a matter of fact, people want an equal system to be established in India and the results of Shimla Municipal Corporation have shown that the people want to have an alternative to the current policies. For the CPM though it will certainly be an uphill task to shoulder the responsibility with just three members in a 25-member corporation, but as your editorial concluded very rightly, “this will lift the sagging spirits of the Left which is in retreat almost everywhere”.

SK KHOSLA, Chandigarh

Choice of Pranab

Apropos your editorial ‘Pranab — the right choice’ (June 18), whatever the experience of Pranab Mukherjee as a parliamentarian may be, he is not a man of vision. His track record as the Finance Minister of India is least flattering. I agree with your views that during his tenure economic growth slipped, reforms got stalled and his budget scared away foreign investors. He didn’t take any concrete steps to bring back black-money, to curb rising prices and to arrest the fall in the value of Indian rupee. His shifting to Rashtrapati Bhavan will save the country from his faulty and fruitless economic policies.

As for the support of Mulayam Singh, Mayawati and Laloo Parsad to Pranab in the presidential election is concerned, it seems more a matter of their compulsion than willingness. They can’t afford to go against the Congress on any count. They know that they can’t afford to get into the dragon-net of the CBI for their economic offences. If they try to follow another course, the noose around their neck would get tightened.

IQBAL SINGH, Jalandhar

National shame

Rohtak’s shelter home, Apna Ghar has shamed the country as was mentioned in the editorial “Horror House” (June 16). The startling revelations have shocked every person in India. The sexual abuse of young and little children is like a bolt from the blue.

The root cause of this sordid episode is the failure of administrative machinery. Those who recommended the case of Jaswanti Devi for state awards had hardly any time to look into the acts of crime behind the scene.

The involvement of police and bureaucrats cannot be ruled out. Money and sex open the routes to impossible goals. Corrupt officers are willing partners in such immoral acts. Now, that the case has been handed over to CBI for thorough investigation; skeltons are sure to tumble out of the cupboard. We wait for the structure to collapse and take pride in investigations. There should be mandatory periodical checks. Society must not be feel absolved of the responsibility to force the government machinery to take timely and judicious action so as to avoid national shame.

KARNAIL SINGH, Kharar

Value of money

The report that an individual paid a whopping Rs 17 lakh for the fancy number ‘0001’ for his vehicle, was mind-boggling in refrence to the article , “Auction of Vanity Numbers” (June 16). More disturbing was the data that Rs 17 lakh could fetch “a boring tubewell to meet water demand of 5,000 persons with eight-hour supply a day for seven years”. We are a poor nation and people live hand to mouth even after back-breaking labour, courtesy untamed inflation.

There is a display of wealth in the form of lavish weddings, a bridegroom arriving in a helicopter and the sinful wastage of food, while there are many underprivileged who sleep without two square meals a day. Remember, money may belong to an individual, but the resources belong to the society.

How “0001” can be lucky for anyone who has to shell out Rs 17 lakh and wait the whole day in inhospitable environments. Apart from being a status symbol, the number ‘0001’ implies that the owner is the most responsible personality of the society and should perform at least ‘ONE’ good deed a day to justify the “ownership of 0001”.

HARBANS SINGH, Ambala Cantt