12-25-2007, 03:36 AM
readers
Readers
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Letters received on Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Not a turning point
Chandan Mitraâs news analysis, âTurning Pointâ (December 24), was interesting. If Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi rode roughshod over his critics and returned to power only on the development plank, where was the turning point? Mr Modi did begin on that note, but the Congress foolishly raked up the communal agenda with Ms Sonia Gandhiâs infamous âmerchants of deathâ speech and changed the contours of the campaign. From that moment, there was no looking back for Mr Modi.
In the entire electoral campaign, there was no local leader, not even the BJPâs rebels, to match Mr Modiâs style. Meanwhile, the Gujarat Chief Minister held the masses with his magic spell, launching a fearsome onslaught on his opponents. He must be given credit for ensuring all-round development in the State and overcoming anti-incumbency.
The BJPâs comprehensive victory in Gujarat is but a lesson for the Congress. It should shun the image of appeasers of the minorities, and give importance to leaders at the grassroots.
JM Manchanda
New Delhi
Chattering class vanquished
SirâThe result of the Gujarat Assembly election reflects the maturity and pragmatism of Gujarati voters. They have shown that anti-incumbency is not a never-ending craving for change among voters for the heck of it. The Gujarati electorate has proved that performance, honesty and transparency in governance are indeed rewarded. To the credit of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, he has been able to win without resorting to populism and gimmicks.
The conventional electoral politics of caste combinations and immature rhetoric has lost. However, a bigger loser than the Congress is the English language media, particularly the electronic media. It has suffered a massive erosion in credibility as it made relentless efforts to project its prejudiced perceptions as vox populi. The Gujarat mandate should serve as a warning signal to all pseudo-secular parties that the politics of minorityism will only lead to polarisation of the majority community.
Vikas Saraswat
Agra
Alibis galore for defeat
SirâIt was amusing to hear the doublespeak of the BJPâs opponents in the television news channels after the resounding victory of the party in the Gujarat Assembly election. Union Minister Kapil Sibal came up with a one-liner, âFascists too win electionsâ. <b>He seems to have forgotten that he represents a political party whose sole objective since independence has been to further the dynastic rule of the Nehru-Gandhi family.</b>
Congress leader Veerappa Moily said that his party could not âstoop to Modiâs levelâ <b>without realising that his party has been regularly stooping to form alliances with Tamil Naduâs Dravidian parties that have been thriving on casteism, communalism and bigotry since 1971.</b>
CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury focussed on communal polarisation in Gujarat, <b>forgetting that his party has legalised illegal immigrants during the past three decades for a lasting and captive vote-bank. The CPI(M) is also blamed for regularly rigging elections in West Bengal.</b> The English language media in the country allows such comments to be broadcast as if they were airing gospel truth.
S Suriyanarayanan
Surat
Death knell for pseudos
SirâGujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi will continue in power after receiving a huge mandate in his favour. His victory proves that the people of Gujarat can differentiate between truth and the myth propagated by a large section of the print and electronic media. The Gujarat Assembly election has established that the days of pseudo-secularism as a successful political tool are numbered.
Yogesh Dewan
Ludhiana
Modi-bashing wonât sell
SirâThe BJPâs impressive victory in the Gujarat Assembly election is a vindication of Chief Minister Narendra Modiâs transparent and efficient governance. But it is equally disheartening to see that the Congress, the media and some social activists cannot digest this. The fact is that this election was primarily held on the issue of development, which the Congress latter tried to divert to communalism. And even now the Congress insists that communalism was the main agenda of Mr Modi. One can only hope that all the political parties will take a lesson and focus on positive issues like development.
Ashutosh Kr Agarwal
New Delhi <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Readers
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Letters received on Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Not a turning point
Chandan Mitraâs news analysis, âTurning Pointâ (December 24), was interesting. If Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi rode roughshod over his critics and returned to power only on the development plank, where was the turning point? Mr Modi did begin on that note, but the Congress foolishly raked up the communal agenda with Ms Sonia Gandhiâs infamous âmerchants of deathâ speech and changed the contours of the campaign. From that moment, there was no looking back for Mr Modi.
In the entire electoral campaign, there was no local leader, not even the BJPâs rebels, to match Mr Modiâs style. Meanwhile, the Gujarat Chief Minister held the masses with his magic spell, launching a fearsome onslaught on his opponents. He must be given credit for ensuring all-round development in the State and overcoming anti-incumbency.
The BJPâs comprehensive victory in Gujarat is but a lesson for the Congress. It should shun the image of appeasers of the minorities, and give importance to leaders at the grassroots.
JM Manchanda
New Delhi
Chattering class vanquished
SirâThe result of the Gujarat Assembly election reflects the maturity and pragmatism of Gujarati voters. They have shown that anti-incumbency is not a never-ending craving for change among voters for the heck of it. The Gujarati electorate has proved that performance, honesty and transparency in governance are indeed rewarded. To the credit of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, he has been able to win without resorting to populism and gimmicks.
The conventional electoral politics of caste combinations and immature rhetoric has lost. However, a bigger loser than the Congress is the English language media, particularly the electronic media. It has suffered a massive erosion in credibility as it made relentless efforts to project its prejudiced perceptions as vox populi. The Gujarat mandate should serve as a warning signal to all pseudo-secular parties that the politics of minorityism will only lead to polarisation of the majority community.
Vikas Saraswat
Agra
Alibis galore for defeat
SirâIt was amusing to hear the doublespeak of the BJPâs opponents in the television news channels after the resounding victory of the party in the Gujarat Assembly election. Union Minister Kapil Sibal came up with a one-liner, âFascists too win electionsâ. <b>He seems to have forgotten that he represents a political party whose sole objective since independence has been to further the dynastic rule of the Nehru-Gandhi family.</b>
Congress leader Veerappa Moily said that his party could not âstoop to Modiâs levelâ <b>without realising that his party has been regularly stooping to form alliances with Tamil Naduâs Dravidian parties that have been thriving on casteism, communalism and bigotry since 1971.</b>
CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury focussed on communal polarisation in Gujarat, <b>forgetting that his party has legalised illegal immigrants during the past three decades for a lasting and captive vote-bank. The CPI(M) is also blamed for regularly rigging elections in West Bengal.</b> The English language media in the country allows such comments to be broadcast as if they were airing gospel truth.
S Suriyanarayanan
Surat
Death knell for pseudos
SirâGujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi will continue in power after receiving a huge mandate in his favour. His victory proves that the people of Gujarat can differentiate between truth and the myth propagated by a large section of the print and electronic media. The Gujarat Assembly election has established that the days of pseudo-secularism as a successful political tool are numbered.
Yogesh Dewan
Ludhiana
Modi-bashing wonât sell
SirâThe BJPâs impressive victory in the Gujarat Assembly election is a vindication of Chief Minister Narendra Modiâs transparent and efficient governance. But it is equally disheartening to see that the Congress, the media and some social activists cannot digest this. The fact is that this election was primarily held on the issue of development, which the Congress latter tried to divert to communalism. And even now the Congress insists that communalism was the main agenda of Mr Modi. One can only hope that all the political parties will take a lesson and focus on positive issues like development.
Ashutosh Kr Agarwal
New Delhi <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->