Flip-flops, Goan style
By jumping ship, the eight Congress MLAs in Goa have administered a severe shock to the party (Page 1, “Congress meltdown in Goa as 8 MLAs defect to BJP”, September 15). It is not only the oath the defectors had taken before god, at a temple, a dargah and a church, but also political etiquette and democratic values that have gone for a toss in the coastal State. The developments are also an indicator of the serious shortcomings in the fire-fighting mechanism within the Congress party. One aspect is clear. It appears that the key national party is trying to unsettle the Grand Old Party by the time the GOP finishes its all-India padayatra.
V. Johan Dhanakumar,
Chennai
The accompanying visual in the report, which shows unconcealed glee written on the faces of the MLAs who have defected, is enough to leave any reader disgusted and shocked.
The MLAs have betrayed their electoral mandate and have conveniently joined the national party concerned for personal benefits. It is a pity that such selfish and greedy persons who are besotted with power and money have been elected lawmakers. Voters are also helpless and responsible for such unscrupulous happenings. Voters need to teach such MLAs a lesson they will never forget.
D. Sethuraman,
Chennai
The political development is also a blow against the Congress’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’. Those who matter in the party will find it hard to explain why the party that is on a lofty mission to unite India cannot even hold its flock together under trying circumstances. Disgruntled senior party leaders and power-hungry legislators are the twin challenges that the Congress faces in its battle for survival. The new Congress president will have to identify unscrupulous fortune seekers masquerading as loyal workers and weed them out. With mass defections to the BJP having become rampant, any election and its outcome is now irrelevant. The Bharatiya Janata Party has proved that it will form governments wherever and whenever it wants irrespective of the election result. The bitter irony now is that people who venture to vote for non-BJP candidates eventually end up backing a party that they did not choose to vote for.
Abdul Assis. P.A.,
Kandassankadavu, Thrissur, Kerala
Hindi use
The Union Home Minister appears to have stirred up controversy with his statements on Hindi use; they may have the unintended consequence of resurrecting anti-Hindi sentiments in the southern States. Many in India have begun to realise that English use is a window to the larger world. English is a key means of communication in an increasingly globalised world. What the Minister should have focused on or advised his colleague who looks after Education is to step up outlay on education and ensure that schools in India reach modern standards in terms of facilities. All efforts should be directed towards quality education for all. Creating controversy and generating resentment against certain languages are unnecessary.
M.P. Muralidharan,
Bengaluru
One fails to get the import of what the Minister means when he says that speaking to children in their mother tongue would lead to an effortless learning of Hindi. One also wonders why there is a move by the Centre to push Hindi use in offices and banks abroad. There are serious issues that require the attention of the Government. Why is the Home Minister so worried about Hindi use?
Mani Natarajan,
Chennai
