T20 culture

As pointed out by Harish Khare in the article “T20 politics has run its course” (Dec. 12), politics these days has come to be associated with name-calling, personal attacks and wild accusations. Thanks to their increasing disconnect with the masses, politicians want to remain in the limelight using any method that guarantees their name being associated with an issue. The same behaviour is seen in Parliament, undermining the purpose of discussions in the house.

A.S.G.R. Rahul,

Delhi

Our parliamentarians lack the refinement and subtlety of their predecessors. If our Parliament does function, which seems a rarity, it is only in between adjournments. But it is certainly not the seasoned restraint of our Prime Minister but his defiant silence and disregard for public opinion that frustrate the citizens, including the so-called middle class.

Anna Hazare’s campaign gave vent to the simmering impatience and anguish of people at the government’s indifference, and inaction on corruption and the myriad scandals that brought down the reputation of the UPA. People find themselves lacking options. With all its flaws, his movement is evolving. To say that it is set in a culture of name-calling is to take it a little too far.

Blaming the media, civil society, the middle class and everyone else for distracting political parties from their basic mandate is rather naïve. If anything, politicians engage in personal attacks and hollow accusations in order to distract attention from the real issues because they know that meaningful discussions will only backfire on them.

Nithya Nagarathinam,

Coimbatore