Cracking the whip late
How interesting it is that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has warned certain campaigners in the Bharatiya Janata Party against making divisive and communal speeches during election rallies. This at the fag end of the election process! Had the ECI booked the politicians involved for violations of the model code of conduct much earlier, it would not only have restored the credibility of the ECI but also that of the poll process itself. The failure to act fearlessly and in time has undermined the credibility of the ECI. A partisan commission is just like a non-neutral umpire regulating a cricket match.
M. Jameel Ahmed,
Mysuru
Stranded in a station
The article, “Revisiting the railway strike of 1974” (Opinion page, May 21), brought back memories of my journey during the strike. I was a nine-year-old boy and was travelling with my family on Dadar Express, from Bombay to Madras, for the summer holidays in 1974.
Though it was a significant event for railway employees, the fact was that the entire railway system had been thrown out of gear. We were stationed somewhere in the wilderness at a station where all the trains had come to a complete halt. Most of the trains in this section were hauled by steam locomotives. The engine drivers detached their locomotives from the rakes and stopped them some distance away. My father’s attempt to coax the Dadar Express driver to recommence the journey was unsuccessful. The travails of passengers, especially children, on that summer day, can hardly be imagined. Compartments were like an inferno, with no fans and dead batteries.
L. Praveen Dhanaseelan,
Chennai
Pune car crash
It is appalling that a minor was able to get alcohol from a bar and allowed to drive a car without a licence. The parents should be blamed and the culprit must face the consequences.
Balagopal Gopinath,
Keerikkad, Alappuzha, Kerala
