Give Nothing but Try to Take Everything
APROPOS (The Meaningful Mandate), Organiser, November 10, 2019, the editorial is a good read. Despite the mandate, the state of Maharashtra is in a kind of political impasse as the BJP’s main ally Shiv Sena is adamant on a 50:50 power-sharing while some of its renegade politicians are openly rooting for a Shiv Sena Chief Minister. While the impasse continues to keep the state in political and administrative limbo, saner voices are being heard all over the country about BJP’s moral right to stake its claim for power, whereas the Shiv Sena is desperate as it huddles into a backdoor manoeuvring with its political rivals such as the NCP and the Congress. While a ‘give and take’ in politics may be desirable, the policy of ‘give nothing and take it all’ seems to be motto of the Shiv Sena. Hope better sense prevails at Matoshri!
D Gaikwad, Thane
Sena on the Wrong Path
Even after the lapse of 10 days of their victory, the BJP and Shiv Sena are not able to form the Government in Maharashtra. Because of its stubborn attitude, Sena wants equal share of power including CM post but the BJP does not want to concede to its demand. It has made it clear that CM post will remain with it for five years. Neither Sena nor BJP is ready to take one step back. Sena Chief is anxious to assign CM post for his son but no green signal from BJP. The only option that remains with the Sena chief is that he should snap ties with the BJP and seek support of both Congress and NCP. But it would finish the Sena forever and would revive the dead Congress and NCP in the state.
Sridhar V. Kulkarni, Kalyan
Personal Ego & the Nation
APROPOS (Fractured Polity and the Easter Blasts), Organiser, November 10, 2019, almost a year has passed since the Easter Sunday massacre shook the Serendip Islands. It is shocking to see how a fractured polity of Sri Lankan government and its leaders’ political infighting led to massive intelligence failure and the subsequent dastardly terror attack on innocent people on Easter Sunday in October 2018. If only Sri Lankan President Maithiripala Sirisena, and Nilantha Jayawardena, the DIG, had had the safety of the people in their minds, this tragedy could have been averted. Unfortunately, innocent lives were lost due to the big ego battles the two men waged against each other, as hundreds perished to Islamic religious terror in the island nation. What is the lesson for us to learn? Never put your personal ego above the Nation.
David Jayawardene, Colombo
Bold Step on J&K
APROPOS (Restoring Glory), Organiser, October 27 & November 3, 2019, the whole issue is worth reading as it provides details of various aspects of the problem and also suggests solution. I am of the opinion that the problem of J&K is due to Muslims whether they are in Pakistan or in Kashmir. We should not be befooled if there are some exceptions. This is a fact that the Gandhi-Nehru-Congress behaved like agents of Muslims both before and after the creation of Pakistan. Hence, no reliable integration of J&K would be possible if we have to beg votes from Muslims. It is binding on Pakistan to accept accession of J&K to India as made by its ruler, Maharaja Hari Singh. And lastly, India can boldly tell these facts in international forum also.
Anand Prakash, Panchkula
Promote the LIC
Presently many public-sector banks have collaborated with private-sector insurance-companies for providing single-window service for banking and insurance. This wrong practice should be replaced by promoting public-sector LIC of India by terminating collaborations by all public-sector banks with private-sector insurance-companies. Instead, all branches of various public-sector banks should be authorised as agents for public-sector LIC of India by giving lucrative incentive-points to branch-managers and bank-employees bringing new policies. Even special LIC counters can be opened at select branches of various public-sector banks. Such a system will enable public-sector LIC of India to expand its business manifold that too by reducing the number of LIC branch-offices thus saving a lot on operating-expenses. At the same time, LIC of India then can make a drastic cut in commission-rates which are mostly paid-back by LIC agents to customers out of competition.
Subhash Chandra Agrawal, Delhi
