The Hindu : The sops

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jan 13, 2004

Opinion

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

The sops

Sir, — This has reference to your editorial "Election gear on economy" (Jan. 12). Though elections have not been notified, the announcement of sops by the NDA before the budget is not correct. It can be provided by law that no Government can extend such large-scale concessions when the budget is due within a quarter; no Government in its last year in office should extend concessions except when absolutely necessary and Parliament should be taken into confidence.

S. Vasudevan,
Chennai

* * *

Sir, — The extensive concessions are a clear signal to the corporates. If the NDA wins, the common man will have to pay for all these sops through higher fees, increased service charges, higher price for oil and gas, higher medical charges, withdrawal of more subsidies and, added to all these, the sale of all profit making public enterprises.

R. Ramakrishnan,
Chennai

* * *

Sir, — The sops are an example of how Parliament can be taken for granted and even democracy can become a sort of dictatorship. They also show how powerless the Election Commission can be rendered.

S. Venkatakuppan,
Salem

* * *

Sir, — The package is a wonderful political strategy that even the Election Commission cannot find fault with. The sops are New Year gifts to industrialists, entrepreneurs, middle class citizens, farmers, students and senior citizens.

A. Narayanan,
Coimbatore, T.N.

* * *

Sir, — Can the "feel good" sentiment, the "coalition dharma" claimed to have been promoted by the BJP, and the promised sops to the various sections of the population fetch another term for the NDA Government? It will depend on whether a majority is feeling good or not, is indifferent to or disapproves of the non-ideological and opportunistic politics that underlie the said coalition dharma, and is gullible enough to fall for the election-eve goodies.

K. Vijayakumar,
Bangalore

* * *

Sir, — This has reference to phrases such as "India Shining" and "feel good factor" coined by the BJP and publicised by the media. But in real terms, the rich are the ones feeling good as they are the sole beneficiaries of the economic policies of the NDA.

Srinivasan,
Chennai

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