Election 2014 reminds most Indian voters of Election 1971 where Mrs. Gandhi was targeted by the entire Opposition and its leaders including her former old Congress leaders (“Leaders sharpen barbs as campaign hots up,” March 31). The rest is history: Mrs. Gandhi won an absolute majority in the Lok Sabha employing her slogan of “Garibi Hatao.” A change of guard proved ideal for the overall progress of India, and facilitated the creation of the nation of Bangladesh. Similarly, Narendra Modi is being accused and vilified by almost all parties largely over Gujarat 2002, as if no other riots have even taken place in this country in the last 65 years. Now it is for Indian voters to decide about Mr. Modi or whoever else they want. All sections of the media need to be fair.
S. Sunder,
New Delhi
This refers to the report, “Sonia accuses the opposition of dividing the nation” (March 31), which mentioned the attack by Sonia Gandhi on the AAP saying “there are people who think running a government is child’s play.” The Congress president must be reminded that Mr. Kejriwal might have “run away” but he is right in saying that both the Congress and the BJP need to be defeated if we want a clean government that governs with a purpose. Both the Congress and the BJP appear to be beholden to the corporate sector and have turned a blind eye to large-scale corruption. Cleaning-up starts with the way elections are funded. This is where the rot starts.
Sheela Chandrachudan,
Bangalore
Our politicians perform only before an election. After winning, they forget us. In India there are only a few politicians who are distinguished — Manik Sarkar of Tripura is a fine example of one who has renounced all privileges and worked for progress. He is also a worthy example of an austere life. In the end, India needs a good ruler — one who is a doer and a thinker; one who places human welfare above all development and can connect rural and urban India; one who can encourage the young to dream and one who can assure us all of a secure society where all people can live without fear or prejudice. Indian voters are quite alert and politicians should also be aware of what they say and how they perform.
Priyanka Chakrabarty,
Guwahati
After reading the reports, I pondered over the option called “none of the above/NOTA” which can be exercised at the time of the election. But on deeper thought, I realised that it is nothing more than a gimmick. Why should one stand in the hot sun and in a long queue to vote for none? A better option would have been a negative vote with the same impact as a positive vote — that is, if a candidate gets 30 positive and 25 negative votes, his effective vote will be five. Why can’t this idea be considered?
Kundan Karan,
North Lakhimpur, Assam
Election 2014 has been marked by personal attacks, mudslinging and provocative/hate speech across party lines tossing political decency and decorum to the winds. People get the government they deserve. Hence, the onus of electing responsible, judicious and duty-conscious politicians lies with the common voter. Isn’t it the bitter truth that we have miserably failed in this respect?
B. Suresh Kumar,
Coimbatore
