Letters

Tariq Ali

Chennai, 11-07-2013: Tariq Ali, writer, film maker and longstanding Editor of New Left Review. Photo:S_R_Raghunathan

WITH its subheadings and relevant photographs, the interview with Tariq Ali really drew in the reader (Cover Story, August 9). It covered a range of important topics of interest to readers. People from all walks of life should read the interview to understand what the world is witnessing. Tariq Ali did not stop with giving replies, he also proposed remedies for some of the world’s problems.

B. Jambulingam

Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu

IN the interview, Tariq Ali expressed his views on China and on developments in Egypt. There is a good message for those in Indian civil society who start movements without any strong political support. Frontline has presented another Cover Story that will be appreciated by readers who are interested in contemporary history and political movements.

Rajeevan A.K.

Deodhar, Madhya Pradesh

Judiciary

I AGREE with the article “Judicial overreach?” (August 9). But why does it confine itself to four cases? Nowadays, almost every legislative and executive action is subjected to judicial interference. Barring the court’s ruling that tainted MPs and MLAs must step down, all the other issues in which it had to ultimately interfere were administrative. The recent trend is for people with vested interests to try and scuttle development projects, and it is they who are giving the courts the opportunity to take over the country’s democracy.

Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee

Faridabad, Haryana

THE ruling of the Supreme Court that MPs and MLAs who are found guilty of crimes will be disqualified immediately after their conviction is historic. It should be welcomed by everyone. The court has sent the political class a strong signal. To get the full benefits of the verdict, the backlog of cases should be attended to on a war footing. Only then will it be possible to prevent culpable politicians from holding office.

P. Senthil Saravana Durai

Vazhavallan, Tamil Nadu

ALTHOUGH the three verdicts of the Supreme Court and the order of the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court strike at the heart of the political system, they are justified because the executive and the legislature have abdicated their responsibility to set matters right, and as a result, criminals have forced their way into legislatures.

With the political class not serious about bringing in electoral reforms, curbing caste-based politics, cutting down on wasteful expenditure, or reforming the criminal justice apparatus beginning with the police, there have been an increasing number of serious allegations of misuse of power and money levelled against politicians of all hues. Judicial intervention is needed to cleanse the political system.

K.R. Srinivasan

Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh

NLC

IT was indeed a relief for the striking employees of the Neyveli Lignite Corporation when the Tamil Nadu government salvaged the crisis (“A twist in the sale”, August 9). But the NLC workers and the working class in general have to wonder about the Centre’s decision to disinvest the Navaratna. Although both the National Democratic Alliance and the United Progressive Alliance cross swords politically, they speak as one when it comes to economic policies. Although aware of the huge divide that globalisation policies spawn between the poor and the rich, they pursue the same. It is high time the working class understood that parties leading their alliances favour globalisation. Workers need an alternative political front.

C. Chandrasekaran

Madurai, Tamil Nadu

CHIEF Minister Jayalalithaa deserves praise for her bold move to buy a 3.56 per cent stake in the NLC. The working class in particular should be grateful to her in the wake of the constant attempts by the UPA government to divest stakes in profitable public sector undertakings. By her principled opposition to the Centre’s move to sell stakes in a Navaratna PSU, the Chief Minister has effectively rebuffed the UPA’s neoliberal economic policies.

J. Anantha Padmanabhan

Tiruchi, Tamil Nadu

Kudankulam

THE apprehensions of members of the fishing community near the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project are genuine (“Shadow of fear”, August 9). There has been a massive decline in hilsa production in the Rupnarayan river with the installation of the Kolaghat Thermal Power Plant in Purba Medinipur district, West Bengal. Fly ash from the plant has also affected paddy and flower production in the area.

Niamul Hossain Mallick

Burdwan, West Bengal

Food security

THE Food Security Ordinance, even when it becomes a Bill approved by Parliament, will not ensure food for all (“Half-baked scheme”, August 9). What India needs is not an Act but production of more food items and their proper storage and equitable distribution. Massive quantities of foodgrain are rotting in godowns even as children suffer from malnutrition. Self-sufficiency in food items should be every State’s goal. Everyone who eats should support the farmer. The old motto “Jai Kisan” should be revived.

S. Raghunatha Prabhu

Alappuzha, Kerala

Taliban

IT is strange that Taliban is putting on a show of peace talks (“Talking to the Taliban”, July 26). It is the most dreaded terrorist organisation in the world today. It is futile to talk of good Taliban and bad Taliban. Democracy and secularism are not part of its philosophy, and it cannot usher in peace either in Afghanistan or Pakistan.

G. Azeemoddin

Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh

Corrections

In the third paragraph on page 6 (Cover Story, August 9), the ninth sentence should read as follows and not as published: "He plunged into the anti-Vietnam War struggle and became a recognised face across the world."

On page 17, the following sentence should read as follows and not as published: "I mean, Chavez was not a married man and he did sleep with women."

The caption of the photograph, again on page 17, should read as follows: "Front row, from left: Ecuador's President Rafael Correa, Bolivia's President Evo Morales and Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez."

In the article "Crazy Wimbledon" (August 9), the name of the 10th-seeded women's player was wrongly given as Olga Kurilenko. It is Maria Kirilenko.