Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Well done!

President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has rightly returned the Office of Profit Bill to Parliament for reconsideration. In doing so, he has questioned Parliament's wisdom in passing a bill that involves a question of legal propriety. India needs people like him at the helm, especially in view of politicians' trait of closing ranks when it comes to preserving and furthering their interests.

J. Jayashankar,
Mayiladuthurai, T.N.

The President has done the right thing. It is a matter of great concern that the present set of politicians is repeatedly seeking to subvert the Constitution. It is being amended for wrong reasons — be it to overcome a Supreme Court judgment or to protect certain individuals. The tendency to tamper with the law for specific gains is dangerous.

R.K. Thommandra,
Hyderabad

Parliament passed the bill exempting as many as 56 offices in undue haste. The application of the law with retrospective effect is unlikely to stand the test of judicial scrutiny. The list of offices to be exempted is huge even at the introduction stage. Many more offices of profit may be included in future depending on the popularity and command of politicians of the time.

S. Nallasivan,
Tirunelveli, T.N.

The development is a setback for the UPA Government. Any bill should aim at the larger interests of the people and not a particular section. It is a lesson for the Government not to embark on short-sighted game plans in future.

Inamdar Ramchandra,
Bangalore

A common citizen wonders why an MP should hold another office when he has a lot of work to do — participating in debates, looking after his constituency and so on. Parliament should drop the bill. Let the members do the work for which they were elected and give up the desire for coveted positions, which rightly belong to civil servants.

V.S. Venkatavaradan,
Salem, T.N.

President Kalam has expressed his displeasure, though in subtle terms, over the actions of those who resigned on moral grounds only to return to Parliament without even waiting for the law to be enacted. It is also a snub at the Election Commission, which conducted the by-election in Rae Bareli pending disposal of cases of disqualification.

Ushadevi & S.B. Rao,
Guntur, A.P.

The Government may succeed eventually in getting the bill passed but crucial questions will remain: Why was a comprehensive criterion not evolved? What is the need to apply the law with retrospective effect? How can profit earning boards and powerful corporations be classified as non-profitable? It is clear the Government of the day is misusing Parliament for realising its selfish goals.

Mohd Abdul Gaffar,
Hyderabad

Mr. Kalam's action is certainly an embarrassment to the Government, given that the major opposition party had differences over the bill. It was aimed only at saving some members.

The President has made his disapproval clear, though the unfortunate fact remains that he has to give his assent if the bill is sent to him again in its current form.

N. Sivaraman,
Kancheepuram, T.N.

The President has articulated ethical concerns and echoed public opinion. The Oxonian in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will recognise the incongruity of applying a British constitutional device to the opposite end. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that the President may resign, rather than being pressured into giving assent in the second round.

S. Soundararajan,
Chennai

Mr. Kalam has demonstrated that he is not a rubber stamp. The Cabinet should take his message in the right spirit and act accordingly.

A. Jainulabdeen,
Chennai

The decision is an embarrassment not only to the Government but all political parties that voted for the bill. Since it is the culmination of the collective wisdom of all parties, we can expect Parliament to defend the bill in its present form. After all, its provisions are meant to protect the interests of those enacting it. They are going to sit in judgment of their own action.

N. Ramakrishnan,
Chennai

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