The economy
THE economic slowdown did not come about suddenly (Cover Story, September 13). It was brewing in the backyard, with the BJP remaining calm and optimistic and looking the other way. Although the government says that it is committed to achieving two-digit GDP growth, this goal is miles away. Industry, agriculture and services have all nose-dived, but the government is boasting of India being the fastest-growing economy in the world. What India needs is real progress and all-round development of the people.
The ill-conceived demonetisation move, which failed to yield the stated benefits, almost broke the spine of the economy and the hurriedly implemented GST only aided its slowing down.
M.Y. Shariff
Chennai
The Congress
THE Congress party is going through a tough phase after its crushing defeats in the 2014 and 2019 general elections (“Missed opportunity”, September 13). Sonia Gandhi, who has served as the party president for 19 years, is its last hope to unite the opposition. It is important for the party to form a strong team, which should comprise not only the old guard but also new faces. With a strong leadership and united political relations, people will show faith in the party.
Members of the Congress Working Committee trust Sonia Gandhi to put up a strong fight against the Modi-Shah duo.
Bharat
Jaipur
Jammu & Kashmir
Congratulations to Frontline for its issue on the Central government’s abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A of the Constitution and dismemberment of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories (Cover Story, August 30). Something that was part of the RSS’ agenda for a long time was realised with this move. The very legitimacy of the Jammu and Kashmir’s accession to India has been brought into question and its people have been humiliated and deeply hurt.
It is unfortunate that the Supreme Court refused to hear on an emergency basis a batch of writ petitions regarding the caging of the State. Is this not an abdication of its constitutional duty to uphold the rights of citizens? To save the country and democracy, the present role of the judiciary needs to be looked at. Ultranationalism and high-voltage majoritarian communalism have penetrated all facets of Indian democracy.
Purushuttam Roy Barman
Agartala
HAS the revocation of Article 370 deprived the people of Jammu and Kashmir of any of the benefits and facilities they were enjoying? In the past 65 years, has any opposition party studied the economic growth, development and condition of the people of the State vis-a-vis freedom and autonomy? A study would reveal that there has been an inflow of militants and that the freedom of the common man has been curtailed. The local people, especially the present generation, have been brainwashed to hate the rest of the country.
As the Congress party, which was involved in a big way in conferring autonomy on Jammu and Kashmir and had been ruling at the Centre for decades, was fully aware that conditions in the State were deteriorating, it ought to have initiated the abrogation of this Article and drafted practical Acts for the betterment of the State’s citizens.
Ashok K. Nihalani
Pune, Maharashtra
Sushma Swaraj
Sushma Swaraj exhibited her talents in various capacities over the years (“Compassionate to the core”, August 30). She had compassion and sympathy for others and used social media in an exemplary way. As External Affairs Minister, her call to the U.N. General Assembly to isolate Pakistan for nurturing and exporting terrorism was a fine example of what Indian women can accomplish.
A.J. Rangarajan
Edison, New Jersey, U.S .
Karnataka
AS a democracy, India needs an effective and responsible opposition, but that opposition is gradually being emasculated (Cover Story, August 16). A strong opposition is necessary to check the power of the ruling party as dissent is important for mature democracies to function properly. India as a one-party democracy will be pointless. The current spate of defections and party hopping does not bode well for democracy.
The use of democratic institutions to weaken the guardrails of democracy is alarming. Many government efforts to subvert democracy are “legal” in the sense that they are approved by the legislature or accepted by the courts. Often they are portrayed as efforts to “improve democracy”, make the judiciary more efficient, combat corruption or clean up the electoral process.
H.N. Ramakrishna
Bengaluru
West Bengal
Mamata Banerjee let the cat out of the bag with regard to the menace of the syndicate Raj when she asked her netas to return the “cut money” they had taken (“Battling extortion”, August 30). It appears to be a desperate attempt to shore up her image, which has been sullied by allegations of corruption in her administration. Leaders are used to swell the party funds.
Sudipta Ghosh
Jangipur, West Bengal
COMMents
COMMents
SHARE