Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Speaker's offer

Sir, — This refers to the Speaker, Somnath Chatterjee's offer to step down (Dec. 17). Any right thinking person can only sympathise with Mr. Chatterjee's predicament. But to blame the Opposition alone for the state of affairs in Parliament is not correct.

S.P. Choudhary,
Faridabad, Haryana

* * *

Sir, — Mr. Chatterjee is clearly at his wits' end. Ever since he assumed office, he has been trying to maintain decorum in the House. He has even held a series of confabulations with the leaders of various parties. All lovers of democracy look upon him as a Speaker committed to the core values of a parliamentary system. MPs should sense the public mood and behave themselves.

N.K. Vijayan,
Kizhakkambalam, Kerala

* * *

Sir, — Stepping down is no solution. There should be a well-defined code of behaviour for the members, the breach of which should invite stringent punishment.

R. Ponnarassi,
Vellore, T.N.

* * *

Sir, — Mr. Chatterjee, being such a seasoned parliamentarian, should stay and use his rich experience to improve matters.

S. Jayachandran,
Chennai

* * *

Sir, — Parliament is a democratic forum for healthy discussion. A code of conduct for its effective functioning should be evolved through a consensus among various political parties, and a committee constituted to monitor its enforcement.

B. Pradeep Kumar,
Neriamangalam, Kerala

* * *

Sir, — Both the Government and the Opposition should conduct themselves responsibly. While Ministers should not squabble publicly, the Opposition should also choose only issues of utmost importance for discussion.

Anirudh Govind Rajan,
New Delhi

* * *

Sir, — Mr. Chatterjee's offer is understandable. One reason for such behaviour among our MPs is the lack of respect for the healthy standards set by the MPs of yesteryear. In this context, it is worth remembering Finance Minister P. Chidambaram's appeal to the educated people to join politics in larger numbers.

Padmavathy Ramamoorthi,
Villupuram, T.N.

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