A grand new life

Sir ? Gurpreet Singh, who wants to build the ?Star school for slum kids? (May 18), must be a very kind man indeed. It must be out of the boundless goodness of his heart that he has dreamt up ?Sikhya ? The School of Learning? , complete with a swimming pool, air-conditioning in every room, computers and other goodies, for little children who live in slums. But does he expect the children to go back to their shanties after school is over to do their homework by candlelight and sleep, six or more cramped into a room? Whatever else Singh may have to worry about, absenteeism will not be one of them. If anything, getting the students to go home after school will be difficult. Would it not have been wiser to spread out his kindness, so that some more children may be educated. They may not get five-star luxury, but at least they will have the wherewithal to make their way in life.

Yours faithfully,
Sanjay Bhattacharjee, Jamshedpur

In the wrong

Sir ? Buta Singh?s decision to dissolve the Bihar assembly has set the state on course for fresh elections within a year (?Bihar battle before poll?, May 24). The governor?s detractors may argue that frequent elections are a waste of time and money. But under the present circumstances, Singh?s decision to dissolve the house was correct, as the political parties had resorted to undemocratic horse-trading to form a government in the state. The National Democratic Alliance, which has claimed that it had the numbers to form the government, is understandably peeved at Singh?s move. But wouldn?t it be better for the alliance to wait for the coming polls and then form a government, if they have the people?s mandate?

Yours faithfully,
Md. Mudassir Alam, Aligarh

Sir ? After Goa and Jharkhand, it is now the turn of the governor of Bihar, Buta Singh, to act in accordance with his masters? dictates. But there was no need for the governor to fret about the charges of horse-trading. Isn?t Indian democracy all about numbers, with political parties competing with each other to achieve a majority or striking up hasty alliances to form a government? Hopefully, Singh?s decision will be reversed by the courts and another election avoided. But there is now a clear case for replacing all governors with a political back ground with men appointed by former judges if democracy is to be saved.

Yours faithfully,
Raghubir Singh, Pune

Sir ? Buta Singh?s decision is both timely and in keeping with the traditions of democracy. In its desperation to form the government, the NDA had resorted to tempting away legislators from rival parties. It may have worked in Jharkhand, but the intervention by Singh ensured that the same script would not be played out in Bihar again. It is difficult to understand how the NDA has accused the governor of subverting democratic norms when it could not even muster the required numbers to form a government in nearly three months. The NDA had used both money and muscle power to meet its goals but had been thwarted in their attempts by the governor. It needs to understand that it is a spent force .

Yours faithfully,
Kalyan Ghosh, Calcutta

Sir ? Although the election results had long been declared in the state, the assembly was yet to be formed. Neither had the legislators been sworn into the house.Then, what business did the the governor have to dissolve the house? Singh seemed to be in too much of a hurry to order another election. But for democracy?s sake, he should have waited a little while longer, as the NDA-Janata Dal (United) combine was on the verge of forming a government.

Yours faithfully,
G.D. Dujari, Calcutta

Sir ? The political developments in Bihar are sure to kill the career of at least one selfish and corrupt politician, Ram Vilas Paswan. But the career of another, Laloo Prasad Yadav, continues to flourish. The Congress should now make the most of the situation in Bihar and ensure that it gets a good deal in its ticket-sharing arrangements with the Rashtriya Janata Dal for the forthcoming assembly elections in the state.

Yours faithfully,
Madhu Agrawal, Dariba, Delhi

Sir ? The dismissal of the Bihar assembly has turned out to be the crowning act of the UPA?s first anniversary. Obviously, it was the imminent possibility that the NDA would form a government in the state, under the leadership of Nitish Kumar, that triggered this knee jerk reaction. Is there any assurance that another election will not throw up a hung assembly again? And will there be a third election, if that happens?

Yours faithfully,
C.V.K. Moorthy, Calcutta

Sir ? Ram Vilas Paswan has nothing to complain about. The situation in Bihar is something that he himself gave rise to when he wanted to have his cake and eat it too. The only person whose interests he was serving by playing spoilsport in government formation was his own. Those who were elected on his party ticket, on the other hand, had everything to lose if the impasse continued for too long. And the temptations from the rival parties must indeed have been overwhelming. It is strange that a seasoned politician like Paswan did not anticipate this turn of events.

Yours faithfully,
M. Shanta Kumar, Bangalore