Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Offer of sops

As the election to the Tamil Nadu Assembly draws nearer, parties are offering sops to the voters on an almost daily basis. But will the freebies be given during the new government's entire term? What if the offer is suspended after one or two years citing financial and other reasons? One party criticised the other's offer of rice at Rs.2 a kg saying it is not feasible, only to offer it at a lesser price a few days later. It is clear that both the DMK and the AIADMK are promising sops out of fear of losing the election. Only the result will show whether the voters can be taken for granted.

V. Pandy,
Tuticorin, T.N.

If the promises are to be fulfilled, the new Government will have to levy new taxes in the next budget. The salaried classes and pensioners should be prepared to tighten their belts.

N. Mahadevan,
Chennai

With time running out, politicians make desperate statements that smack of immaturity. Children are brought into the electoral campaign, the poor and illiterate are wooed with fantastic promises, and caste actors try to create disharmony in society.

T. Rama Chandra Prasad,
Chennai

Promises of rice in different quantities, colour TV sets, jobs, land, waiver of loans, and now free gold for thalis (mangalsutras). It appears that once a new government is in place, the people will get everything they want free. One is reminded of Cho. Ramaswamy's drama Mohammed Bin Thuglaq. The main protagonist argues that as long as the people are gullible, politicians will continue to exploit them. The argument holds good even today.

K. Sivaraman,
Chennai

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