The V-P election
While the National Democratic Alliance candidate Jagdeep Dhankhar’s win without any worry is only because of the disarray within the Opposition ranks, what is shocking is that of the 725 votes cast, 15 votes were invalid.
This is a great disgrace and a blot on our parliamentary democracy. Casting one’s ballot paper needs no great wisdom and technical knowledge. It is ironic that what is so well known to the common Indian is a hurdle for some MPs. If this is the case, how can our representatives understand the intricacies of inflation or other issues to debate upon and raise questions about in Parliament? It is no wonder then that 1.29 crore irate voters have pressed the NOTA button on the EVM in the past five years.
Rajamani Chelladurai,
Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu
One hopes that Mr. Dhankhar follows the norms as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. His past as a man who shuttled between parties in his political career quite frequently and where, as Governor of West Bengal, he did everything to defeat the objective of cooperative federalism, must quietly fade away.
Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee,
Faridabad, Haryana
One expected the graceful and experienced Margaret Alva to have become the next Vice-President of the country. But it was not to be. One only hopes that Mr. Dhankhar will carry out his duties dispassionately, and fairly and impartially. The outgoing Vice-President, M. Venkaiah Naidu, has set a very good example of how a Chairperson should conduct himself in the Rajya Sabha.
Tharcius S. Fernando,
Chennai
Although the victory of Mr. Dhankhar was a foregone conclusion, the result only exposed the gaps in the armour of the Opposition. What was more confounding and equally distressing was that Mamata Banerjee, the self-styled captain of the Opposition unity ship, herself turned out to be the wrecker-in-chief.
Ayyasseri Raveendranath,
Aranmula, Kerala
Margaret Alva was not gracious in her defeat. Her lament that some Opposition leaders did not support her is a case of sour grapes. It was a foregone conclusion that the NDA’s choice would eventually sail through. That the BJP stole a march over the Opposition in ensuring the win of both its Presidential and Vice-Presidential nominees is undeniable. Ms. Alva can take heart from the fact that she was only rejected by the people’s representatives and not by the people.
Sivamani Vasudevan,
Chennai
On patriotism
Citizens should have the freedom to display patriotism in as many ways as possible in a democratic country. On the contrary, asking all citizens to showcase the National Flag on their social media/display pictures will only catalyse a ‘follow the crowd’ mentality. Perhaps, this move may provide a window of opportunity for self-appointed ‘digital vigilante groups’ to judge the degree of patriotism of others, to whom they have online access. Hence, the Opposition’s response to this call with their own twist is a step in the right direction to break the crowd mentality. In a democracy, no single political party must be allowed to hijack patriotism.
A. Venkatasubramanian,
Tiruchi, Tamil Nadu
Medal rush
India’s medal rush at the Commonwealth Games 2022 is a proud moment for the country. As the country nears its 75th Independence Day, the wins reflect a new and resurgent India that wants to own a place on the pedestal.
Subash Balakrishnan,
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
