The Cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday was yet another attempt to save the UPA government's image crisis by making a few cosmetic changes. UPA II has been indifferent towards the common man, with inflation going out of control and corruption bringing shame. The fact is the Prime Minister, globally famous and nationally fragile, buckling under coalition pressure, is helpless.
Syed Khaja,
New Delhi
There is hardly any enthusiasm among the general public over the reshuffle. Everyone knows nothing will change in the performance and quality of the Council of Ministers. Tuesday's reshuffle may be projected as a face-lifting exercise by Dr. Singh but he appears to forget a simple fact. It is the leader of the Union Ministry who is responsible for the character, quality and performance of his government. Any number of changes will not help in lifting the government's image as long as he remains a silent spectator.
Biranchi Narayan Acharya,
Cuttack
The reshuffle is disappointing. It lacks boldness and seriousness of purpose to arrest the drift in policy-making and regain people's faith. Tokenistic and cosmetic changes dictated by the Congress' political compulsions will not help to refurbish the sinking image of the UPA government. The stubborn refusal to learn from the past is a self-destructive flaw which the government will regret later.
V.N. Mukundarajan,
Thiruvananthapuram
The cartoon (July 12) on Dr. Singh's plight is superb. It is time the Prime Minster learnt to deal with politicians around him. His image as a clean person is no longer helping him. Free India has seen rubberstamp Presidents, even sleeping leaders, but this is the first time we see a Prime Minister who is oblivious to what is happening around him.
R. Kalyanaraman,
Chennai
