The Election Commission (EC), acclaimed for its professionalism in holding elections in a transparent and fair manner in a vast country like India, appears to have suddenly lost its way by seeking power to punish for contempt (“ Unwise proposal ,” editorial, June 15). There is no yardstick to measure what amounts to ‘contempt’. Positive criticism may be looked upon as contempt by an intolerant institution. Democracy thrives and evolves through debate and discussion, though the process of reaching consensus may face difficulties. The EC has still a lot to answer for concerning issues of public interest such as missing names on electoral lists and bribing of the target electorate. Even the Supreme Court, in spite of the Himalayan powers at its disposal, kept its cool for a considerable time over the antics of a brother judge. The EC will do well to ally the apprehensions of the public as and when issues crop up rather than resorting to arm-twisting measures to silence its critics.
V. Subramanian,
Chennai
The EC’s seeking of power to punish for contempt is yet another sad example of how intolerant our institutions of democracy have become to criticism. There is no doubt that the EC still continues to enjoy the confidence of the large majority of people despite some embarrassing questions posed by political parties. However, the institution can retain public trust only if it responds to criticism through a codified process rather than attempting to silence the already fading voices that raise scepticism. Further, the ‘power to punish’ under contempt law invites abuse in general and has to be revisited.
S.A. Thameemul Ansari,
Kayalpatnam, Tuticorin