Campaign and conduct
The Election Commission of India (ECI) advisory to political parties, asking leaders not to reach out to voters on the basis of ‘appealing to castes, raising communal passions and religious symbols, raking up personal issues, vilifying women and peddling half-truths’ is a case of closing one’s eyes to the true position. How caste, community and religion play out in all areas in public life, including politics, is well known. People want their representatives to be of good character and integrity, both in public and private. These can be ascertained only through more information on the candidates and their mode of activities being put out in the public domain.
The ECI’s directives often appear to infringe on this absolutely personal right of voters to select a candidate on any count of her/his (voter’s) choice.
P.R.V. Raja,
Pandalam, Kerala
The ECI appears to be losing its impartiality and freedom under the current administration. The recent surge in the ‘integration of’ religion into the political landscape, notably amplified by the inauguration of the Ram Temple, is a matter of great concern. The exponential increase in temple visits by certain leaders and the extensive coverage provided by electronic media in this regard only accentuate this issue.
The intertwining of religion with politics poses a potential threat to the fairness and the integrity of the Lok Sabha election.
As the custodian of electoral integrity, the ECI must enforce measures to maintain a level playing field for all political parties.
N. Nagarajan,
Secunderabad
Political long jump
It is the right of any political party or alliance to wish to return to power but the Bharatiya Janata Party has gone overboard by discussing ‘a 100-day agenda for govt. after poll’ (Page 1, March 4). It is amusing and ridiculous and it appears to be subjecting the Opposition INDIA bloc to some sort of psychological political pressure. On what basis is the BJP so confident? Is it going to adopt malpractices using EVMs or are we going to see Chandigarh mayoral election-like situations? The electorate will exercise its mind and choice at the polling booth. The party must wait.
A. Jainulabdeen,
Chennai
‘India’s parched IT capital’
Bengaluru, once labelled as a pensioner’s paradise and known for its salubrious climate, is no longer so. The city receives rain that is in no way insignificant, and every drop needs to be conserved. Bengaluru is a classic example of how humans have extinguished access to a life-sustaining commodity. The government and the Army, with vast land holdings in and around the city, should adopt rainwater harvesting in a big way. Depending on the Cauvery alone is unlikely to meet the needs of an ever-burgeoning city (‘Ground Zero’ page, March 2).
H.N. Ramakrishna,
Bengaluru
Bengaluru is no longer a garden city. The metropolis is another instance of poor urbanisation — like Chennai — where water bodies have been lost.
V.M. Mahendran,
Chennai
