The Opposition BJP is drifting aimlessly Sir, The BJP has failed as an effective opposition and is cluelessly drifting, ever since it lost the general elections in 2004. It became complacent after it won the assembly elections in Punjab, Uttarakhand and the local body elections in UP, Maharashtra and Delhi and started pursuing hard-core Hindutva policies, indulging in meaningless controversies like circulation of CDs with fundamentalist messages, moral policing of artists etc.
Unless the party reinvents itself by abandoning the contentious issues like Ayodhya, Uniform Civil Code, Article 370, Muslim bashing and the like, there is no future for the party and it is likely to be wiped out without any trace in the run up to 2009 general elections. The BJP, instead, should work towards making India strong in the comity of nations by taking all citizens along the path of progress and prosperity and strive for healthy and fair distributive economic growth and justice for all. V Padmanabhan
Bangalore
Beacon of light?
Sir, The Gurjar violence in Rajasthan is yet another reminder to our politicians on the dangerous consequences of caste politics. In the guise of affirmative action and pretending to do social justice, our self-serving politicians are using the caste divide in our society to further their narrow political interests at the expense of national integration. The country needs a voice of reason, a leader who can serve as a beacon of light to the people caught in the cesspool of caste politics. Rajalakshmi V
Mumbai
Reservation protest
Sir, The country is gripped with quota controversy, thanks to the nurturing of this policy by selfish politicians. This seems to threaten national peace. Even now, the politicians will not keep quite and start kindling the fire for their own benefit at the expense of the country’s unity and peace. It is high time all eminent people lead the nation to fight this dangerous policy and force the politicians to end their petty games for the sake of the country’s peace and development. V S Ganeshan
Bangalore
Escalating quota war Sir, The rising death toll in the wake of the Gurjars demanding inclusion in the list of Scheduled Tribes has already left the scars deep. To make the matter worse, Meenas have started taking cudgels against Gurjars and have been voicing stiff resistance on tampering with the ST quota. The quota war is assuming dangerous proportions. The need of the hour is to control the violence with an iron hand, while keeping the doors wide open for resolution of the issue through dialogue. K V SEETHARAMAIAH
Hassan
Temple entry
Sir, It is regrettable that the Guruvayoor Temple has taken a decision to continue with the tradition of banning non-Hindus from entering the temple. How will they distinguish a non-Hindu from a Hindu, since all Indians look alike? As long as non-Hindus do not cause any disturbance in the temple, or hinder the worship of Hindus, they should be allowed entry into the temple. Purifying the temple after the visit of Vayalar Ravi and his family was in bad taste. C V Krishnamoorthy
Bangalore
TV codes Taliban-like
Sir, According to reports, there would be a list of dos and don’ts for television channels. The proposed code for adult contents that stipulates it to be beamed between 11 pm and 4 am is likely to impact our GDP as the adults, who watch late night programmes will suffer from health problems and can’t work to full potential at office. Similarly, the rule that privacy of individuals cannot be violated means no sting operations. All powerful persons and VIPs can therefore go scott free for their illegal and dishonest deeds! Mahesh Kumar
New Delhi
The Opposition BJP is drifting aimlessly
