BJP's failing tactics

This refers to the Cover Story ("BJP's failing tactics", October 8). The British were happy to release Savarkar because his Hindu nation theory suited their policy of divide and rule.

At a time when suicides of farmers are being reported from different parts of the country, the Bharatiya Janata Party, the main Opposition party, is bent upon diverting the attention of the people from real issues. The NDA government was mainly responsible for increasing the miseries of the common people.

HariVirudhunagar, Tamil Nadu

* * *

It was a critical but fair assessment of the BJP's failing tactics and its predicament in the present political situation. The BJP and its allies failed to perform as principled Opposition parties. They have even obstructed the parliamentary proceedings in an unprecedented manner, giving rise to strong public criticism. They have no moral right to rake up the issue of tainted Ministers. Uma Bharati's yatra politics started with a bang but ended with a whimper. The issue of the foreign origin of Sonia Gandhi has become an obsession for the party. In short, the BJP failed to preserve the political space it held before the last general election. Its campaigns failed to evoke mass support because it did not focus on real issues of national importance. It is time for the BJP to wake up and function as a responsible Opposition.

V.K. Sathyavan NairKottayam, Kerala

* * *

It is surprising to see the BJP, which was responsible for many achievements on the economic and technological fronts during its rule, playing up to astrology and in the process reducing Indian democracy to a shambles, ruining in the process its fortunes. It has failed to play the role of a responsible watchdog, which a mature political party should do when in Opposition. It appears that the BJP wants to be in the limelight at any cost.

Siddhartha Raj GuhaJabalpur, M.P.

* * *

The nation has lost its trust in the BJP because it has forfeited its credibility. Frustration has made it commit tactical blunders. We never expected a disciplined party like the BJP to stoop to the level of destabilising parliamentary proceedings. Now that new skeletons are coming out of the cupboard, the party will begin to decline. Instead of consolidating their forces, BJP leaders have started criticising one another for the party's devastating failures.

U.S. IyerBangalore

* * *

The Cover Story has correctly pointed out the reasons for the BJP's miscalculation and its failure to evoke mass support despite a high profile campaign on the eve of the Assembly elections in two States. The tricolour issue, Uma Bharati's arrest, the Veer Savarkar issue, and the controversy over the Census findings became convenient pre-election ploys for the party, which failed to exercise a decisive and positive impact in terms of popular appeal. When sections of the BJP, particularly the moderate elements guided by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, were not convinced about the efficacy of this tactic, how can the electorate be hoodwinked by a shift from Hindutva to the new national campaign? The more its leaders wanted to add the Hindutva flavour to their votebank politics, the more they failed to strike a chord among the people. What the BJP needs at present is a clean image and credibility.

R.R. SamiTiruvannamalai, T.N.

Population issues

This refers to the article "The real concerns" (October 8). The controversy over the population growth rate in the latest Census has proved that politicians are only interested in confusing the people for their own narrow gains. An anomaly in the first report was corrected by the second report, which somehow pacified the politicians. But in the controversy, we must not forget that we have already crossed the danger level in population growth. The falling sex ratio shows the appalling status of women in the society. If such dangerous trends continue, then the fight for food, water, employment, house sanitation and health would intensify. The costs of the maintenance of the growing number of aging people, will also eat into a major portion of the States' and the Centre's budgets. The government should take the cue from this informative census report and concentrate on reducing the levels of illiteracy and poverty and checking the fall in sex ratio.

Akhil KumarDelhi

Nehru and Kashmir

A.G. Noorani's review of Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru (October 8) was scintillating. It epitomised objectivity clarity and detachment. One could not agree with Noorani more: as a builder of the Indian state, history will undoubtedly rank Nehru with Ashoka and Akbar. Yet, history is no blind respecter of personalities, however great they are. Emperors of yore or great leaders of our times, are all human and, therefore, are bound to make mistakes. But even small mistakes of such great rulers and leaders have enormous consequences for decades and centuries to come.

Historians and biographers must have the courage to point out such mistakes candidly but in a civilised manner. When it comes to Jawaharlal Nehru especially, Noorani is perhaps the only writer who holds the scales so scrupulously even. He has beautifully brought out the "Hamletian" aspect of Nehru's personality and character.

In retrospect, after 57 years, it is apparent, except to the faithful, that Nehru's China policy as well as his handling of Kashmir were entirely wrong. Any fair and dispassionate discussion on Kashmir must inescapably conclude that Nehru made the lofty promise of "ascertaining the wishes of the people" of Kashmir regarding its accession to India without much thought about its consequences. In his characteristic fashion, he declared that it was "not merely a pledge to (the Pakistani) government, but also to the people of Kashmir and to the world." When, however, he began to see the possibility of the people of Kashmir (primarily, those in the valley) opting for Pakistan, he began to resile from his own `pledge' by adopting various innovative tactics.

Sharadchandra PansePune

AIDS

This is with reference to the article "Profits over people" (August 13). While the article raises several important questions on how the AIDS crisis is being tackled, it focuses on the role of "Big Pharma," which is pretty small. The pharmaceutical companies are not running a charity. The author makes a simplistic suggestion: "I have no problem with giving Big Pharma 20 or 30 years of strict patent rights to Viagra and other chemical toys". Who decides what are toys and what are not?

Most of the tropical diseases are essentially under control. And if anyone thinks tropical diseases only happen in developing countries, they are welcome to visit Florida. The real problem with tropical diseases is getting the drugs to the patients in time. It is a social, and not a research and development problem.

Farhat HabibColumbus, Ohio, U.S.

Narmada Dam

Congratulations on the excellent article written by Lyla Bavadam on the Sardar Sarovar project ("Flood of fears", August 13). It takes a progressive magazine like yours to keep highlighting the colossal injustice that is taking place in the name of rehabilitation of the tribal people of the Narmada Valley. Readers like myself who are now not residing in India rely on Frontline for honest reporting of such issues.

PadmapriyaSan Diego, California, U.S.

Budget 2004

This is with reference to your editorial "A Balancing Act" (July 30). It is very unfortunate that you have unjustly described the United Front government's 1997 budget as a disaster on account of the implementation of the Voluntary Disclosure of Income Scheme. The scheme has colleted Rs.10,000 crores in unaccounted money. According to the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, 40 per cent of the gross domestic product is unaccounted money and an estimated Rs.1,00,000 crores is generated every year. The widespread proliferation of black money is causing immense harm to the economy and Frontline should throw light on its genesis, proliferation and its harmful effects on the economy.

Y. JagannathamVijayawada

Panchsheel agreement

This is with reference to the article "Back to basics" (July 30).

The Panchsheel agreement when signed was celebrated with much fuss and fanfare. The romantic illusion lasted for hardly eight years. But why should we celebrate the 50th anniversary of that agreement, which was abrogated with impunity and treachery by the signatory, the comrades of the great Chinese people at Aksaichin in the northeast in 1962?

Frontline might, with some research, fix the responsibility for deferring the deployment of the Indian Air Force in that war. To believe in the Panchsheel might be diplomatic but not pragmatic.

N.S. RamanathanTiruchi