MP’s comments
The rule regarding attendance of Members of Parliament appears to have been slapdash. How a member can serve the House and the citizens with just one day’s presence looks to be a puzzle. Perhaps a more rigorous law could be useful. It is another matter if 100% attendance, by itself, would indicate 100% usefulness. Having said this, the reported move of a privilege motion by a few Trinamool and Congress MPs (Inside pages, December 14), as per existing rules, against the former Chief Justice of India and Rajya Sabha member (nominated), Ranjan Gogoi, attracts a few questions. It looks as if Mr. Gogoi did not apply for leave of absence for the two sessions he skipped. If there is some time limit fixed for making such an application, it is for the empowered authority to ask for an explanation and take actions thereafter as per law. The House can also follow rules in the absence of such an application. When the rules allow members to abstain, how can one find fault with Mr. Gogoi’s words that “he goes to [the] Rajya Sabha when I feel like?” Despite this position, one feels Mr. Gogoi could have avoided his observation that he “would have been better off in terms of pay, emoluments if (he) had been a chairman of a tribunal”, as the dignity of the House is involved. One hopes that the House takes up the basic importance of attendance.
P.R.V. Raja,
Pandalam, Kerala
An odd passage
The CBSE is an examination board of repute. So, it is strange how it cleared a passage that supported regressive notions, faced deep embarrassment and is now awarding students full marks for the question. There are hundreds of excellent passages available for comprehension not only to promote gender neutrality but also highlight the beauty of the English language. Of late, the CBSE seems to be drifting.
N. Nagarajan,
Secunderabad
Outstanding
At the height of his fame, nadhaswaram maestro Karukurichi Arunachalam had a huge fan following, enhanced by his contribution to the Tamil film, Konjum Salangai . The song ‘Singaravelane deva’, in which playback singer S. Janaki sang in tandem with his nadhaswaram playing, became a hit. (“Playing nagaswaram like a bird in flight”, December 13). In an era when song-tracks are recorded separately and then synthesised, this immortal song was a pioneer for its innovation.
R. Sivakumar,
Chennai
