Ugly personal attacks
The current Indian elections have touched a new low in terms of personal attacks amongst the lead candidates. Almost regularly Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi launch a tirade against the BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. And Modi, in return, more or less does the same and sometimes goes a step ahead. Now, Priyanka Gandhi has entered the fray, who holds no party or government position. It is indeed lamentable that important issues like improving growth, unemployment management, poverty alleviation, improvement in infrastructure, improved health services, etc, have taken a back-seat and personal attacks and insinuations dominate the election campaign of all parties.
Rajendra K Aneja
Dubai, UAE
Election commission
This refers to BJP?s PM candidate Narender Modi criticising the Election Commission even though the EC has, by and large, tried to remain unbiased during the ongoing election process. Such criticism is not new with some earlier chief election commissioners having been criticised as ?men? of ruling political parties. But none of the parties having ruled the country have ever tried to take legislative measures to avoid such controversies. Election commissioners should be appointed by a collegium consisting of Prime Minister and Opposition Leader by consensus.
Subhash Chandra Agrawal
Delhi
Vote for Aadhaar
This refers to Sumita Kale?s column ?UPA?s Aadhaar miss? (FE, May 3), which lists the various strengths and weaknesses of Aadhaar in implementing the Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT) and other cash transfer programmes of the government and correctly advocates that the various achievements/infrastructure of the Aadhaar programme must be used by the policy planners in the future also. From hindsight, not providing Parliamentary approval to the Aadhaar programme, which led to its issues with the Supreme Court, appears to be a fatal flaw and this must be corrected immediately by the new government. If subsidies are to be efficiently directed to the true beneficiaries, Aadhaar remains the best bet. If the NDA government comes to power, it must eschew the temptation of tinkering with the Aadhaar programme as otherwise the real issue of efficient subsidy disbursements will go into a spin. By building on the tremendous good work already done by UIDAI, it can achieve success in cash transfers within the first two years of its rule, which will do much good to its financial management. The time has come for major political parties to show sagacity by agreeing on economic reforms irrespective of who gains power, as their constant nitpicking on critical issues is costing the nation dearly.
YP Issar
Ex-GM, PNB, Karnal
