The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : Out of jurisdiction?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jan 22, 2005

Opinion

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Out of jurisdiction?

Sir, — Your editorial criticism of the Chief Election Commissioner ("Out of jurisdiction, again," Jan. 21) is based on the reasoning that Indian voters "do not require the patronising gaze or the censoring hand of any constitutional functionary." This logic may apply to a country whose voters are not induced by communal passions, where there is no caste divide or such abysmal poverty. We need the Election Commission's patronising gaze for the survival of democracy.

V. Krishnan,
Chennai

* * *

Sir, — The editorial has argued against the endeavour of the Election Commission to restrain political parties from using the interim report of Justice U.C. Banerjee on Godhra during the Assembly poll campaign. In which case, given Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad's latest reiteration that he will rake up the issue during the polls, the Commission will also not be able to restrain the BJP. Mr. Prasad's game plan will only end up doing a greater damage to the secular fabric of the nation.

Avuthu Srihari,
Secunderabad

* * *

Sir, — From the manner in which he has been talking and conducting himself, it would appear that Mr. Prasad has already won the elections.

Lohith M. Jajee,
Bangalore

* * *

Sir, — The BJP's politicising of the Godhra carnage to win the Gujarat elections will not justify Mr. Prasad's attempt to play the same card on the eve of the Bihar elections. The entire nation knows how elections are conducted in Bihar. We should only feel happy that the Election Commission is trying to bring some order to the electoral process.

P.S. Balasubramaniam,
Chennai

* * *

Sir, — It is surprising to see T.S. Krishnamurthy's observation termed as "loose talk." In the statement "to be part of the idea of India is to be concerned for a larger whole than one's backyard," the larger whole seems to exclude Lalu Prasad and Bihar and include only Narendra Modi.

K.S. Ramakrishnan,
Chennai

* * *

Sir, — It is important for a CEC to wield control over political parties, more so when those in power insist on using committee reports for getting votes. The Commission's warning that politicians would be made accountable under the model code of conduct if they give a communal colour to the Banerjee report is laudable.

B. Nagarajan,
Rolla, Missouri

* * *

Sir, — The BJP has raked up the Ram temple issue from time to time to remain in power and the Congress too has been resorting to vote bank politics. It is now the turn of the RJD chief to reap the harvest of the Banerjee Committee report.

Akhil Kumar,
New Delhi

* * *

Sir, — In order to ensure a free and fair election, the Election Commission has done the right thing by cautioning all the political parties not to use the Banerjee report in their campaign.

K. Venkata Rao,
Secunderabad

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