The Election Commission’s decision to grant the voters option to reject all the candidates contesting an election is a welcome step. But to be meaningful, it needs two more supplementary provisions. One is to make voting compulsary. In a democratic polity, the right to vote is a fundamental right; and every responsible citizen must avail of it. There is no point in saying that the voters by abstaining from voting, are indirectly indicating their judgment, that no candidate, in their estimation, is acceptable. They must go to the polling booth and register their opinion. They should not utilise the holiday that they get on the election day for their amusement. If a voter, without the permission of the electoral officer, abstains from voting in two consecutive elections, his right to vote should be cancelled once for all. His name should be struck off the electoral roll. The other provision needed is, if 50 per cent or more voters reject all the contestants, that election should stand cancelled. There should be a fresh eletion. The present rule allows a candidate, even if one per cent voters cast their positive vote, declared elected. In an election where there are more contestants a candidate who gets even half per cent votes is likely to be declared successful. He may even masquerade as the representative of the whole constituency. In order to avoid this absurdity, it is necessary that the whole election is cancelled and the voters get a fresh chance to elect their representative. In this fresh election, all candidates who had contested the first election, where more than 50 per cent voters had cast a negative vote, should be debarred and the voters should get a fresh panel to register their choice.
M G Vaidya, Nagpur
Continuous cribbing won’t help Muslims It appears that about 200 million Muslims left behind in Bharat after the Partition in 1947 are unhappy. Why don’t they go wherever they are wanted or want to go? Why did they not go to Pakistan at the time of formation of that State? After all the cry for Pakistan was the loudest in states where Muslims were in minority. They remained here as they were not wanted in Pakistan. Only top people from the minority states went. The Muslims who remained in Bharat keep nagging. They are like thorns in the flesh of secular people here. The leaders in Pakistan from the minority states did not care for them at that time, nor now. People get leaders they deserve. Nagging people get evasive leaders. Muslims here should merge with others here in Bharat i.e. Hindus, Christian, etc and find employment. They can. Some Muslims make idols of Hindus Gods and Goddesses as Shri MV Kamth mentions in his article in Organiser titled, ‘The self-damage imposed by Muslims on themselves’ dated 10.11.2013. Muslims in Bharat must try to merge with others and be secular. Nagging and grumbling won’t help.
CBD RAO, 39, 15th Cross Road, Malleshwaram, Bengaluru
Solute to the Elapsed Legacy (Organiser, 27.10.2013); This is with reference to the front page article in Organiser ‘Salute to the Elapsed Legacy’ by Dr Bhagwati Prakash Sharma and review of the book netaji subhas the tallest of the titans by Shri Tej N Dhar. Today India has forgotten the legacy of Azad Hind Fauz. We find in media only praise of bogus Congress leaders like Nehru and Gandhi, etc who did nothing except helping the British to continue to rule and loot Bharat. British Government treated Netaji as their enemy and the same the Congress is doing. Those who led struggle against British empire, for example Veer Savarkar, Bhagat Singh, Vasudev Balwant Phadake were erased from public memory by the erstwhile foreign rulers, Britishers, and their present successor the Congress. But for Organiser the nation would not have remembered the great sacrifice done by INA for the freedom of India. Those who claim that non-violence of Gandhi brought Independence to India should be made to read the statement of the then Prime Minister of England Clement Attlee who had said that, “INA activities of Subhas Chandra Bose weakened the very foundation of British Empire in India.” Along with Organiser I salute Netaji and his INA for their major role in India’s Independence.
PRAMOD PRABHAKAR VALSANGKAR, Dilsukhnagar, Hyderabad: 500 060
State robberies of Hindu temples (Organiser, 1.12.2013) As a regular reader of Organiser I along with other Hindus are grateful to MV Kamath for his article on the state of affairs of our ancient temples in all states of India. The thought provoking article should at least wake-up the Hindus before it is too late. Otherwise if things go on as it is ,we the Hindus will have no sacred places to visit and it will be the saddest day for us. In Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Government have taken over temple administration under some pretext or the other and have only been misusing the temple funds for political ends. The same politicians living on temple funds brand other Hindus as communal if they work for Hindu unity and culture. Not only temple funds are misused by the governments, they are not even thinking of maintaining them and safe guarding the asssets of temples and deities. For instance in Tamil Nadu not even a day passes with out a burglary in a temple. Inspite of regular burglaries Tamil Nadu Government is silent and no action has been taken on this serious issue.
jr kamath, Brooklands, Coonoor, Nilgiris
Why the PM should not skip CHOGM in Colombo (Organiser, 17.11.2013); This refers to ‘Why the PM should not skip chogm in Colombo’ by Seshadri Chari in Organiser. He has pleaded that “State level concern should not determine the foreign policy and if the PM skips this meeting, it means we are pushing Sri Lanka towards Pakistan and China.” It is shameful for India, that USA and European countries are taking more and keen interest in the Human Rights of Tamils in Sri Lanka, but India has miserably failed to do its legitimate duty of protecting the life and rights of Tamils in Sri Lanka. Sinhalese Government of Sri Lanka never gave equal rights to the Tamils, and indulged in mass slaughter of innocent Tamil civilians and rape of Tamil women. It is certainly not the responsibility of India to ensure united Sri Lanka on the dead bodies of Tamils. Tamil Nadu is as much part of India as any other State, and their concerns are India’s concern. And lastly, it may be added , that just like anti-Hindu Congress rulers in India, the Sinhalese Government in Sri Lanka is anti-Hindu Tamils, but is very favourable with Muslim Tamils of Sri Lanka. As soon as BJP led Government comes to power at the Centre, it must review India’s Foreign policy, not only towards Sri Lanka, but also towards Pakistan and other Islamic countries and China, etc.
ANAND PRAKASH, 72/ Sector-8, Panchkula:134 109
Correction
December 6 is the death anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar and not the birth anniversary as appeared in page 9 of the article titled ‘Need to study and analyse Dr Ambedkar’s multidimensional thoughts’ issue dated 8.12.2013. The error is deeply regretted. —Ed.
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