A Viable Electoral Arithmetic Need of the Hour
The poor performance of the Left and the grand-old Congress party in the recent assembly elections is really worrisome, at a time when the BJP with its divisive agenda is making inroads in states like West Bengal and Kerala and has captured political power in the North-Eastern state of Assam. The Congress and the Left should do serious introspection and reinvent themselves to remain in the political spectrum at the national level. Experiments in the name of “third front” with the confluence of regional parties have come a cropper in the past. There is a need for a viable electoral arithmetic which can challenge the divisive agenda of the saffron brigade.
Syed Sultan Mohiddin
Kadapa, A.P
A Big Question to Ask
16 May, 2016 marks Narendra Modi’s completion of two years since he was elected with a resounding majority to the Lok Sabha. Two years later, has Modi managed to deliver on the promises that made people vote him to power, is a big question to ask. Most Indian Prime Ministers wanted to project themselves as fair, compassionate, statesman-like and hoped that they would be loved and admired by the people. However, in the case of Narendra Modi, the last two years of his rule suggest that he wants to be feared, more than anything else. His administration has instilled fear in the minds of minorities like Muslims, Dalits and Christians in the Indian society along with intellectual, writers, artists, liberals, the media and even university students.
In the past two years, if we sum up the things he did for the country, we find a divisive figure. While claiming to unite India with his policy like Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas, Modi and the ideology he represents have created rifts in India. On the other side, in the name of development game, he has been only the friend of the rich and the affluent. Crores and Crores of loans to the capitalist people have drawn him closer to the wealthy and powerful people, taking him away from the poor and needy. The country, which was known for the slogan of Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan has witnessed an agricultural growth falling below 2 per cent; no one wonders whether the agrarian crisis really matters to him at all.
Mohd Zeyaullah Khan
Nagpur, M.S
Turmoil in Bangladesh
Two broad trends emerged out of the momentous war of 1971 in Bangladesh. One viewed it as a totally justified rebellion against Pakistani aggression, the other as a tragic separation. One stood for an ethnic Bengali identity, the other an Islamic identity. This faultline is, however, rooted in the tortuous history of East Bengal. It has been manageable when politicians have left it alone, but this is exactly what they have been reluctant to do.
On its part, the ruling Awami League is bent on appropriating the war, thereby denying legitimacy to rival political parties, namely, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Bangladesh Jamat-e-Islami. There are serious misgivings about how the war crime trials have been conducted and about the recourse to death penalty.
It is alleged that Hasina Wajed and her party have used the war crime tribunal to deepen their hegemonic control over State and society, making the Opposition redundant. The trials have exposed new fissures in Bangladeshi society as much as they have healed old wounds. This the country can ill afford if it is to remain united.
Mostafa Murshid Pasa
Rajnagar, Murshidabad, W.B
Prohibition in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha, after taking oath, has ordered to shut down 500 TASMAC liquor stores. This initiative is aimed at her electoral promises made during campaign. Nitish Kumar is also trying for prohibition at various places. It is a welcome sign that people and the governments are realising the aftermath effect on family, their health and its negative impact on society. More and more states should follow such initiatives, one after another. Good stories coming out as a result of such prohibition should be told in order to encourage other people. Furthermore, even the government can announce some kind of award for all those pledging not to take liquor and standing by it.
Ismail Hussain
Hubli, Karnataka