Valid points

Sir— In the article, “Divided and distinct” (April 10), André Béteille inferred, “Democracy would not work at all if leaders of political parties took no account of the calculation of electoral advantage.... But we must not allow the requirements of policy to be overturned at every step by the demands of electoral politics.” The respected writer thinks that politics and policy are inevitable parts of governance and, therefore, both will exist. And since they stand on multiple and varied divisions, these divisions will also exist. The scope of electoral advantage is directly proportional to such divisions. As divisiveness increases, the calculation of electoral advantage gets fresh oxygen.

Although, in theory, one wants to abolish these differences for the sake of reformation, one indirectly supports them when one casts a vote in favour of a particular political party. The divisions could be erased only if all political parties worked for the eradication of poverty or for a better health and education system. The reality is very different, of course. For instance, in West Bengal, particular groups get financial help from the government because of their religious identity.

Yours faithfully,
R. Subhranshu, Chandernagore, Hooghly

Sir— In “Divided and distinct”, André Béteille has brilliantly explained class, caste and Marxist politics. The class theory propounded by Marx had envisaged that the exploited working classes of industrialized states would uproot the capitalist system eventually. That did not happen in any European country with the help of organized labour. The Marxists have come to power mainly in semi-industrialized states or in non-democratic ones through violence perpetrated by small groups of self-styled revolutionaries. Very few of them came from a working class background. So power went into the hands of members of the middle class — known as the petit bourgeoisie. This resulted in what was termed “state capitalism” by the Yugoslavian communist leader, Milovan Djilas.

The failure of class politics is obvious in India. According to the National Sample Survey conducted in 1999-2000, organized labour consists of only seven per cent of the total work force. The Marxian class-based theory is irrelevant in such a country. The Left Front’s presence in the national scene is insignificant. To capture what little power it has now, the Left leadership had to accommodate communal and caste politics in its scheme of things.

Yours faithfully,
Asoke C. Banerjee, Calcutta

Nature’s fury

Sir— The repeated occurrence of earthquakes and tsunamis, whether in India or elsewhere in the world, is a warning sign (“Close shave, twice in a day”, April 12). In the last year alone, there have been three major natural disasters in the world — the cyclone in Haiti, the tsunami in Japan and one major earthquake in the Indian subcontinent. These should not be considered as isolated incidents. They are grim forebodings of what will happen if we tamper with nature. Armed with the powers conferred by new technology, man has destroyed the delicate balance of the ecosystem. The results of such abuse may not be apparent immediately but they will manifest themselves in due time. There have been unnatural climatic changes all over the world. We must remember that no matter how much scientifically advanced we become, we are helpless in the face of nature’s fury.

Yours faithfully,
Ambar Mallick, Calcutta

Sir— It is not surprising that earthquakes and tsunamis have become frequent nowadays. What surprises is that this did not happen earlier. The earth is being constantly subjected to severe torture as multi-storied buildings and huge shopping malls are being constructed in place of single-storied buildings, and trees are being cut to clear the ground for flyovers or railway tracks. In all this, no thought is being spared for the future. Money-making is the trend today, and it is being followed diligently even if it destroys nature and, subsequently, human lives.

Yours faithfully,
K.S. Ramachandran, Chennai

Sir— The immediate and swift response of the Indian disaster management teams, as also of the state police and armed forces, to the recent earthquake shows that the disaster management mechanism of the country has considerably improved since 2004, when over 15,000 lives were lost in the tsunami. In the wake of the 8.6 magnitude earthquake, the disaster management teams were able to rapidly inform most people about the tsunami threat, clear beaches, evacuate the residents of high-rise buildings and move them to safer grounds. However, guidelines must be issued by the government regarding the building of houses and the construction of roads and bridges in earthquake-prone zones, especially in the Northeast, which is one of the most seismically active regions of the country.

An earthquake of great magnitude can cause extensive damage to cities with high population densities in the absence of proper disaster management mechanisms. The issue of disaster management must be taken up at all levels in the Northeastern states as the recent earthquake has increased the chances of a greater strain along the Himalayan fault-line. The Northeastern cities and villages will fall like a pack of cards if a major earthquake takes place in the near future.

Yours faithfully,
Aranyak Saikia, Guwahati