Tamil Nadu is witnessing a no-holds-barred election war between the DMK-led and the AIADMK-led alliance in the run-up to the Assembly elections. Both are making full use of money and promising freebies such as fans, mixers, grinders, bus passes, and wedding gifts to woo voters. With the State exchequer depleted, one wonders how the government will carry out development work. It is a pity that there are no strong laws to end the plunder of public funds in the name of the poor.
R.J. Khurana,
Bhopal
Corruption seems to have become our national identity. Corrupt the electorate, so that it learns to tolerate corruption at higher levels and does not see it as an evil. Just as coalitions have come to stay, freebies have become an indispensable part of elections in Tamil Nadu. Politicians just don't care because it is the taxpayers' money that they propose to spend on distributing the freebies if they come to power.
The promise of consumer articles disproportionate to people's needs is, no doubt, meant to lure them. Most of the voters are poor and vote for those who offer more.
N. Gopalan,
Chennai
CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat's remark that the Election Commission should get tougher to weed out the use of money to buy votes (April 7) has not come a day too soon. We hear stories of truck loads of currency being transported to various constituencies in States going to the polls, almost every day. The practice of buying votes leaves an indelible black mark on the democratic process.
T.K. Damodaran Nair,
Kozhikode
The Election Commission is doing its best to prevent the use of money and muscle power in the election by checking the movement of cash and large withdrawals from banks, issuing voter slips, and so on. It is now up to the people, especially the educated elite, to cast their vote without fail.
S. Ramalingam,
Vellore
The seizure of crores of rupees by the Election Commission officials in the States going to the polls is appalling. The money may be distributed to the poor after the election. It will reach its destination in an ethical way. This will discourage political parties from continuing with the practice.
G.M. James,
Chennai
