Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Disturbing trend

It is rather unsettling to find new disputes cropping up between States over water-sharing. Parochialism has become rampant and is being fomented by all political parties with an eye on the next elections. Water-sharing disputes are not confined to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. They exist between Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra and among Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Delhi.

I sometimes wonder whether the States would have gone to war if they had armies. If the tendency persists, the idea of linking rivers will remain a pipe dream.

Y. Parameswaran Menon,
Thrissur

The tendency to resort to violence is alarmingly on the increase in every sphere of activity with or without political backing. This is a dangerous trend which will damage the federal set-up of our country. The country is already facing numerous obstacles to development schemes, thanks to the formation of States on linguistic basis. The situation has now reached a point where every State considers itself a separate entity. Political parties nurture and pamper this tendency to garner votes. It will only ruin democracy if not curbed.

O.G. Krishnamurthy,
Chennai

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Power and prejudice
Silver lining
Iran elections and their aftermath
Nigeria’s immorality about hypocrisy, not miniskirts
Death for writers condemned
Corrections and Clarifications
From Tibet to China’s Tibet: Is history an ally for Tibet?
Unsettling
Senior citizens
Disturbing trend

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu