Friday, March 13, 2015, will remain a dark day in the political history of Kerala (Editorial, March 14). What right do the ruling and Opposition parties have to behave in the most ugly manner? As the televised proceedings showed, there was no second thought given to taxpayers’ money as there was a systematic plan to damage property. While at the end of the day both the ruling and the Opposition parties will reach an amicable settlement even when they know the odds are against them, it will be us voters who end up looking foolish. Public sentiment needs to be expressed and heard through the Governor.
Anitha Anilkumar,Kochi
One was reminded of the campaign, “Behave yourself India, the youth are watching.” From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, almost every State Assembly is fast becoming the stage for unruly behaviour. The use of pepper spray, passing time by watching video clips of a dubious nature in the midst of House business, mocking women members, breaking mikes and throwing chairs, all amid verbal abuse, are now the norm. Leaders, please respect our institutions!
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The responsibility for the terrible happenings is to be placed squarely on the doorstep of the Chief Minister, who, in defending K.M. Mani, trampled on all democratic canons and established parliamentary traditions. The behaviour of the LDF men also left much to be desired. The checks and balances built into our democratic system no longer seem to work.
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Were they lawmakers or lawbreakers? Every single Indian who believes in democratic values would no doubt have been ashamed. I did not expect this kind of behaviour from the leaders of the most literate State in this country. While some were destroying public property and virtually manhandling one another, with no consideration even for women, one could see the Chief Minister looking on unruffled. One would expect that all the guilty leaders are made to pay for the damage out of their own pocket. To add insult to injury, there was a ‘hartal’ the next day that inconvenienced the people.
G.S.S. Dutt,Thiruvananthapuram