Dilution of identities
It is painful to witness political brands, built painstakingly across several decades, being diluted for short-term political gains. Party names and symbols are treasures synonymous with the founding leadership. When these treasures are handed over to breakaway factions, the voting public becomes confused and begins to reconsider their emotional association with the ‘hijacked political party’. The breaking-up of the AIADMK, Shiv Sena and NCP would definitely weaken the voice of the people from the respective States.
I see this dangerous trend of ‘regional party hijack’ as a harbinger of the decline of federalism as we know it.
Bharath Rangarajan,
Chennai
Divisive line
It is unfortunate that the bogey of a ‘North-South’ divide is being fomented (Page, 1, “Opposition is creating a ‘North-South’ divide: PM”, February 8). But to blame the Opposition squarely for this is vicious.
Those responsible for the ‘cause’ lamenting the ‘effect’ is Orwellian ‘Newspeak’. One hopes that no one shatters the cherished dream that ‘India is one whole and not the sum of its parts’.
Ayyasseri Raveendranath,
Aranmula, Kerala
