Letters to the Editor

The toothless tiger
While reading Seema Mustafa’s cover story, “Another rubber stamp” (TSI, Mar 25), I was nostalgically reminded of one very important quote of the civics teacher of my early school days that the constitutional post of President of India is tantamount to being the constitutionally approved host of official celebrations in India and it is the Prime Minister who really enjoys the entire power. In fact, it is not an important question that who succeeds the chair of ‘white elephant’ of the Indian polity. The most crucial question is how to maintain the sanctity of the political sovereign of India. And the question of serious introspection is how to revitalise the presidency and supply him the teeth enough for the survival of the first citizen of India. What is most important is to ponder over the issue of dissociating the election of the Indian president from the affiliation of a host of political parties. Post and prerogatives of the Indian presidents, no doubt, must accrue from the constitution but must not be constrained and coloured by the philosophy and ideology of the political parties they get hail from. However, the idea of getting the president elected directly via people’s preference and participation cannot outright be rejected. Only by that can the the highest constitutional ombudsman be saved from being a toothless tiger.
Shreeprakash Sharma,
Samastipur, Bihar

A gentleman and a cricketer
The article ‘The star of Dravid’ by Satya Prasad Movva (TSI, Mar 25) makes us realise the greatness of Rahul Dravid both on and off the field. With the self-effacing cricketer deciding to hang up his pads, the gentlemen’s game has lost not only one of its greatest exponents but more importantly lost one of the last few true gentlemen of the game. The passion, the grace and the finesse with which Dravid carried the game was exemplary. Many of his great knocks were however overshadowed by more fancied team-mates. But an unfazed Dravid continued with the work he knew best regaling cricket fans with his impeccable style of batting. Cricket coaches and experts the world over openly vouch for his style of batting. Even with all the talent potential the country has, it will not be easy to fill in the void left by ‘Mr. Dependable’. His co-players knew that there was a ‘Wall’ to fall back on in times when the going got tough. Aspiring players can surely seek to enumerate these high ideals espoused by Dravid. We are living at a time when youngsters have very few living persons to enumerate. We are lucky to have one in Rahul Dravid.
Jaideep Sarkar
Kolkata

Vendettas don't pay
Apropos “An immediate change required” (TSI, Mar 18), I would like to impress upon Mamata Banerjee that since her political movement has paid the required dividend and the Communist regime has been uprooted and a TMC administration installed in West Bengal, it is time for Mamata to avoid whimsical decisions. In her administration certain amount of diplomacy with firmness is required. Revengeful attitude will not pay any dividend. On the contrary she may have to repent. For example, the proposed increase in railway passenger tariff is very much required in order to augment Railway income for funding of various pending railway projects especially those required for safety. In fact Mamata should realise the gravity of the situation and not run away from it. She should understand that in such a difficult and tight situation the only option available for Dinesh Trivedi was to increase the fare.
Lt Col Ranjit Sinha (Retd)
Kolkata

Delink the corrupt nexus
In Musings "Public Works Disaster'' (TSI, Apr 1) Prasoon S Majumdar has rightly commented that unlike other departments where bribes are a speedy way of doing work, in PWD it is the other way round. It is beyond doubt that the rampant corruption prevailing not only in the CPWD but in all the States having Public Works Departments is due to a dangerous nexus among their officials, the bureaucrats, road mafia, local politicians, vendors and contractors which has reached to such an alarming level that any honest man’s convictions are at threat. The mismanagement of the PWD hits the entire society with a cascading effect as the buildings, bridges, roads and the drainage system constructed by them are in a most chaotic condition0 .When corruption in the PWD is at its peak, our strategy should be to delink the nexus between the corrupt bureaucrats and the politicians, who conspire to loot the country. Thus it will become almost impossible for any politician to make wealth by corrupt means – by cheating the public using willing corrupt bureaucrats of his choice.
Bhanupriya
Mohali

Party over nation
Kudos to Arindam Chaudhuri for making an apt analysis of the state of Indian Railways in his write up "Kill them, but..." (TSI, Apr 1). What a surprise that the efforts of the Union Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi to present laudable budget proposals for the year 2012-13 have been dashed to ground by his own party. Equally strange is that the PM and the FM who praised this budget acted as mute spectators, showing him the door at the insistence of the TMC supremo. For one who believes in paribartan, Mamata did not like the changes made by her own partymen for improving the standards of the Indian Railways. Rising above myopic party political considerations, Trivedi has underlined the fact that his responsibility as Union minister is first to the Indian Railways and then to his party.
Vimal Kunal
Kalka, Haryana

Reputation at stake
In Musings "No defence for defense" (TSI, Mar 25) Prasoon S Majumdar is right to comment with anguish and pain that our armed forces, which were once fine models of dignity and honour, are under siege now following a series of scams and corruption scandals. It is really tragic that the 2000-2010 period has badly damaged the military's reputation as such scandals included skimming of armed forces money, re-selling of government property, fake combat missions, dubious defence land deals, corruption prevailing in handling ration and arms procurement deals related to the armed forces. The saying 'As the king so are the subjects' proves that the corruption in defence has hit the lowest strata of soldiers. It is a matter of great regret that the best kept institution is on a slippery road due to some of its top corrupt officers which can cost the nation very dearly if it is not controlled immediately. Prasoon is right to conclude that the corruption prevailing in the three wings of the defence forces dents the image of defence services. Most of the time, this embezzlement of funds and resources hit the lower most strata of soldiers. Be it scams in procurement of basic arms and ammunition or be it scams in purchase of technologically advanced fighter jets, it is soldiers at the front and the common man at the rear, who have to pay – and pay with their lives.
Suman Kukal.
Ambala Cantt.

It's shocking
I felt completely shell shocked reading the gruesome tale of divorces in Kerala in the write-up "Till divorce do us part" (TSI,  Apr 1). In a fully literate state like Kerala when the sanctity of marital relationship has been spoilt by the heinous act of divorce, it seems as if literacy has nothing to do with the building of a peaceful society. The startling fact is the economic independence of the women has stood as an impenetrable wall between the spouses in the form of divorce. So the idea of a woman to be self sufficient is very nice but it does not mean that she should opt for segregation from the family where she is supposed to live with the husband. Marriage is such a sanctum where the idol of love and affection is to be worshipped with perfect devotion and commitment. On the other hand it is not a doll’s house. The nuptial bond is heavenly and here the wife is not at all a puppet to be a mute witness to ill treatments or the husband is not a dictator to exercise all means of suppression to keep the wife in his grip. Marital relationship and divorce are poles apart and it is a stark truth that divorce is the diverse path leading to complete discontentment.
Durbadal Ghibela
Balangir, Odisha

It's shocking
This refers to your highly critical editorial "If you thought India has problem with election funding..." (TSI, Mar 25) which reveals the reality of the celebrated democracy of America. At the same time it is correctly pointed out that elections have never been democratic in its true sense. The malpractices are rampant in India. This is due to poor people are an easy prey to accept money. An honest citizen hopes for a fool proof electoral system.
Satya Murty
Kakinada