The Hindu : New Delhi News : Reader's Mail

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 26, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Reader's Mail

Walk the talk

Sir, -- In newspaper columns these past few days, "Filthy Rich" is how our politicians have been described. It is a consequence of the declaration of their assets while filing their nomination papers to seek elective office. And how could one overlook the 40-rupee sari tragedy in Lucknow? It was an out and out case of politicians wanting to influence voters and leading to the loss of so many poor, innocent lives.

Now just consider the scenario in the general elections of 1952. Jawaharlal Nehru was in Bihar in support of an old party colleague. Noticing the paucity of his friend's funds, Nehru on returning to Teen Murti House in New Delhi arranged for Rs.500 to be sent from his personal kitty.

And guess what happened? The aspiring MP thanked the Prime Minister but returned Rs.450. He wrote to Panditji saying he was retaining the remainder for the extra footwear, which he would need because he intended to walk through the length and breadth of the constituency to seek his voters' support! Moreover, he assured his leader that he would undoubtedly win the seat for the Congress.

Yes, once upon a time there were politicians who did "walk the talk" - - fair, and tall!

Mukund B. Kunte,

148 Munirka Enclave,

Nelson Mandela Road,

New Delhi - 110 067.

* * *

U-turn by Najma

Sir, -- Najma Heptullah, who was gifted the high post of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman by virtue of being Maulana Azad's grand niece and who was conferred membership of the Rajya Sabha by the Congress leadership for four terms totalling 24 years and who for years has been trumpeting the virtues of secularism and attacking the Sangh Parivar for its communalism has suddenly discovered virtues in the Bharatiya Janata Party and has been showering praises on the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, from every public platform. This surely would have shocked the noble and pious soul of Maulana Azad who fought communalism all his life.

The Congress leadership rightly made no secret of its loathing of Ms.Heptullah in recent times as she went about deifying Mr.Vajpayee and cultivating the BJP at public gatherings. The Congress rightly would not have renominated her for the Rajya Sabha any more.

To Ms.Heptullah the genocide of Muslims in Gujarat, of which the BJP Chief Minister Narendra Modi is accused, is of no significance as, according to her, the BJP has apologised for Gujarat. With this disclaimer she has committed the crime of insulting the memory of thousands of innocent people who lost their lives in those riots. Apparently her only goal is to crawl her way to another term in the Rajya Sabha. For this u-turn she cannot be forgiven -- not only by the entire Muslim community of India but nationalists and secularists all over.

Her veiled attacks on the Nehru-Gandhi family, especially Sonia Gandhi, are in extremely bad taste and highly deplorable. It is nothing but wishful thinking for anyone to believe that Najma's entry into the BJP will attract Muslims to the BJP. On the contrary, they will with disdain reject the party and its candidates in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

M. Hashim Kidwai,

HIG No.1, ADA Flat,

Sir Syed Nagar,

Aligarh (Uttar Pradesh).

* * *

Religion and nation

Sir, -- In a secular, pluralistic polity it is erroneous, rather inconceivable, to perceive any religious issue as a national issue -- especially so if the nature of the nation is stratified, albeit diversified, and its character heterogeneous. Secularism as practised by the State in its real meaning and religions as followed and observed by its populace can't be hand in glove and simultaneously juxtaposed. Under any situation, secularism implies that the State is, ipso facto, unconcerned with religion.

It then becomes inevitable for the State claiming and pledging itself to secularism to remain truly equidistant from all religions under its umbrella for its policy of governance is circumscribed by the sacrosanctity of secularism. At the same time, the Government has to keep itself insulated from all sorts of surging sentiments touching upon irrationality or otherwise.

Once it is decided to follow the path of secularism, the State is rendered helpless to promote or permeate into any religion -- be it that of any community. The concepts of secularism and those of religion are mutually antagonistic and in no way palatable with each other. In such a State, the religion is relegated to the personal domain.

Shahid Hussain,

Sir Syed House,

3118, Sir Syed Ahmed Road,

Darya Ganj, New Delhi - 110 002.

* * *

The missing cap

Sir,-- Reading your Page 3 news item, "Gandhi topi: From politicians' wardrobe to drama costume" (April 12, 2004) by Lalit K. Jha, one feels sorry to learn that the good old Gandhi cap by all appearances has lost its relevance in the country's first general elections of the 21st Century under way now.

Why has it disappeared from the wardrobes of our politicians who otherwise swear by Gandhian ideology, the Congressmen in particular?

I think in their hearts of hearts they realise that they do not deserve to wear the Gandhi cap any longer as they do not measure up to the high standards of Gandhian ideology.

Worse, it appears that our politicians no longer remember Mahatma Gandhi. It's a sad state of affairs indeed.

Onkar Chopra,

Flat - 114 A, Block C2B,

Janakpuri,

New Delhi - 110 058.

* * *

It's DTC

Sir, -- We are residents of BG-3, 44-D, Paschim Vihar, New Delhi. Of late we find that the frequency of DTC buses plying on routes 956, 952, 949, RL-71 and 965 has come down sharply. Quite a few buses have been withdrawn from the routes altogether in the morning as well as evening. This is particularly galling during the evening hours when the frequency of buses on these routes gets very low. Thousands of people are affected day in and day out.

The Delhi Transport Corporation authorities are requested to restore and enhance the frequency of routes 956, 952, 949, RL-71 and 965 immediately.

Residents of BG-3, 44-D,

Paschim Vihar

New Delhi.

* * *

No water here

Sir, -- The pocket I live in has 272 SFS flats and gets its water supply shared among three DDA colonies in the area (A/3, A/4 and A/9). We all know full well that during summers there is little water available for distribution. However, here in our apartments all flats except 16 in our neighbourhood get some water at least. Our 16 flats from 65 to 80 have not been getting any water for the past week.

Despite frantic calls to Delhi Jal Board, no water tankers are coming while the private water tankers on whom we have to rely are fleecing us. Nowhere could we find the names and addresses of senior Jal Board engineers whom we might contact for redressal of our grievance. All we want is equitable availability of water to all flats in the days and weeks to come. We hope we will get some justice now.

A.B. Ilango,

Ex-Secretary,

Konark Apartments Residents' Welfare Association,

A/4, 80, Konark Apartments,

Kalkaji Extension,

New Delhi - 110 019.

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