Power politics

Sir — Mukul Kesavan’s article, “After the Family” (May 1), puts forth some interesting points about the role of the Gandhi family in Indian politics. It is true that the highly centralized decision-making structure of the Congress, with Sonia Gandhi at the helm of affairs, has resulted in the party alienating some very resourceful members. Centralization might ensure discipline, but it also results in a certain degree of frustration in people like the chief minister of West Bengal, who has always preferred to work at the grassroot level.

In spite of this it must be remembered that Sonia Gandhi has been a successful integrating force in the party. It is owing to this that news of internal conflicts within the Congress is significantly less in comparison to that within its rival, the Bharatiya Janata Party, which Kesavan calls majoritarian and “a more dangerous force”. The prevailing trend in the BJP, too, is a matter of concern. The culture of a political party is shaped primarily by the person leading it. What Atal Bihari Vajpayee had established was a party that would be open to different ideas. Narendra Modi does not seem to be very open to differences. Therefore it is possible that in the years to come, the BJP will face a plight similar to that of the Congress now. A party which can strike the correct balance between centralization and respecting differences of opinion will be able to successfully govern this diverse country.

Yours faithfully,
Debtanu Lahiri, Jamshedpur

In love

Sir — Digvijay Singh’s disclosure of his relationship with a television journalist is quite interesting. The Congress general secretary admitted to the affair after certain pictures were leaked on the internet (“Diggy confirms a pre-poll alliance”, May 1). Singh was bold enough to admit it on the social media and also said that he plans to marry her. The journalist is yet to obtain a divorce from her husband. It is interesting to note that the declaration comes during the general elections.

Singh had engaged in mud-slinging with the BJP over Narendra Modi’s marital status, questioning the credentials of a man who had abandoned his own wife, while he was himself having an affair with a much younger woman. In spite of encroaching on Modi’s life for quite some time, Singh reacted strongly after the pictures went viral and called it an encroachment on his personal life. The BJP leader, Meenakshi Lekhi, had said, “A new definition of morality has been given by the actions of senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh sahab.” She also advised the likes of Singh to “ first practice what they preach”. It is strange that Modi has not used this opportunity to get even with Singh and earn some brownie points during the elections.

Yours faithfully,
Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee, Faridabad

Sir — The country has witnessed tremendous social changes in the last decade or two. Live-in relationships and the LGBT community are now accepted in society. Digvijay Singh’s affair with Amrita Rai, a television anchor who is quite a few years his junior, has stirred a hornet’s nest in the midst of the ongoing general elections. It seems that Singh has been influenced by Western celebrities and politicians who have much younger spouses.

Yours faithfully,
A.S. Mehta, Calcutta

Sir — Digvijay Singh had no choice but to accept his clandestine affair. It is odd that the most vocal of the Congress leaders is now mired in a scandal that has brought his personal life to the public domain. His claim that unlike Narendra Modi, he is not afraid to accept the fact that he has been having an affair did not do much to save his image. It has been alleged that Singh got close to Amrita Rai after the death of his wife. The personal lives of politicians should remain private, as it has got nothing to do with politics. It is nauseating that Rai’s account was hacked to obtain the pictures and the details of their affair.

Yours faithfully,
Janga Bahadur Sunuwar, Bagrakote, Jalpaiguri

Sir — Amrita Rai says she has filed for divorce, but the fact remains that she has not been granted divorce as yet. It has been alleged that Singh’s declaration has resulted in a discord in his family. Singh’s admission of the affair is refreshing in Indian politics, where such matters are usually kept private. Still, the way Singh behaved is not something expected of our leaders.

Yours faithfully,
N.K. Dasgupta, Calcutta

Letters from Bihar

More trouble

Sir — After Giriraj Singh, yet another leader has created an embarrassing situation for the people of Bihar. Singh said those opposing Narendra Modi should go to Pakistan. Now the Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo, Lalu Prasad, has said that Modi should go to Pakistan first. What kind of message do these politicians want to give to the nation? Instead of making such comments, they should involve themselves in constructive politics. It is true that during elections, politicians try to influence voters by issuing controversial statements. Both Singh and Prasad should issue apologies. The former is already facing the heat as the Jharkhand High Court has issued a non-bailable warrant against him. The honourable court or the Election Commission should penalize Prasad as well. The RJD chief was granted bail recently in the fodder scam case. He is likely to land in further trouble as a result of his utterance.

Yours faithfully,
Sumant Sarvesh, Patna

Sir — As if the controversial remark was not enough, there is more trouble in store for Lalu Prasad. The dissident MLA, Samrat Choudhary, has filed a petition in the Patna High Court, demanding the de-recognition of the RJD (“PIL against Lalu post in party”, May 3). It seems that politicians like Choudhary will go to any extent to earn cheap popularity. In his petition, he has said that Prasad, who was convicted in the fodder scam, continuing as party president violates the RJD’s constitution. It is evident that Choudhary is an opportunist. He did not have the courage to raise his voice against Prasad when he was with the party. Incidentally, Choudhary has been denied a Lok Sabha ticket even though he has been critical of Prasad. It is possible that the dissident leader is doing all this to endear himself to the Bihar chief minister and Janata Dal (United) leader, Nitish Kumar.

However, in the days to come, Choudhary would certainly rue his decision of turning against Prasad and his party. This is because the RJD is likely to fare better than Kumar’s JD(U) in the Lok Sabha elections.

Yours faithfully,
Chandan Kumar Jha, Patna

Lights out

Sir — The power situation in the state capital is deteriorating with every passing day. The Patna Electric Supply Undertaking’s efforts to solve the problem have proved to be ineffective. Whenever people lodge a complaint with the authorities, they are told that it is a technical fault and that it will take some time to detect it. How much time does it take to detect a fault? In Patna, areas like City Chowk, Maal Salami, Maroofganj, Jhauganj and Khajekalan are reeling under power cuts. The sultry conditions have made matters worse. It is disappointing to note that the state government is not serious about improving the power situation. Voters would surely remember their sufferings when they go to cast their votes in the elections.

Yours faithfully,
Lalit Agarwal, Patna

Letters from Odisha

Feel the heat

Sir — The temperatures in Odisha have been hovering around 40 degrees Celsius for the past one month or so; the bigger cities are experiencing a difficult summer. The prevalent heat wave conditions in several parts of the state have been making daily life very tough. In light of the heat waves the state has suffered in the past, the government should have taken pre-emptive steps to combat temperatures this time. But the poll-bound administration seemed to have forgotten about the situation the people might face during peak summer. Now that the situation has spiralled out of control, the government seems to be waking up. It has banned bus services between 11 am and 3 pm in the state (“Commuters slam bus ban”, April 30). But its tardiness has already resulted in the death of eight people owing to the heat wave. Even during the polls there were reports of some deaths because of the heat which the state administration may not have taken into account. I hope the authorities act promptly to combat the heat wave.

Yours faithfully,
Shraddha Samant, Cuttack

Sir — The state government’s decision to ban bus services between 11 am and 3 pm, in view of the soaring temperatures, is a welcome step, as it will help combat the heat wave. However, the government should also instruct private companies and government agencies not to allow their employees to roam about in the sun. The government should also ensure that more air-conditioned buses with reasonable fares ply during peak summer. This will help the passengers as well as the bus conductors and drivers. The administration must make long-term plans to deal with such conditions.

Yours faithfully,
Aditya Rout, Berhampore

Sir — The state government’s decision to ban buses from plying during crucial hours has inconvenienced many commuters. The administration should listen to the pleas of those who rely on bus services for daily travel. Buses should have battery fans and an adequate supply of ice-cold water for commuters feeling uneasy owing to the heat. No matter what the temperatures are, people need buses to go to work. Instead of banning buses, there should be special arrangements to ensure the safety of passengers in the heat.

Yours faithfully,
Subhashree Patnaik, Bhubaneswar

Sir — With temperatures soaring in the past few weeks, the state government has done the right thing by banning the plying of buses during peak summer hours. This will ensure that people do not risk going out during these hours, thus shielding them from getting sunstroke or heat stroke. Many commuters are upset with the ban, but they must realize that it is in their best interest.

Yours faithfully,
Biranchi Narayan Pradhan, Bhubaneswar