07-24-2008, 02:23 AM
It was no victory
<b>
The Indo-U.S. nuclear deal was never an issue of the people. Scientists hold conflicting views on the subject while many of our MPs do not even understand the nuances of the highly technical issue. Yet the issue drove the UPA government to seek a trust vote and it won it on Tuesday. </b>Parliament might have spoken but the people, who are languishing thanks to the soaring prices of every commodity they consume, have not.
<b>
It was highly unethical on the part of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to say that the Left parties wanted him to behave as their bonded slave (July 23). His government survived for four years on their support.</b> They did not, as claimed by Dr. Singh, veto every decision of his on the nuclear deal but only those that were detrimental to the interests of the people and the nation.
S.R. Krishnamurthy,
Thanjavur
* * * *
<b>
To say the least, it was uncharitable on the part of Dr. Singh to have said what he did about the Left parties, especially after enjoying uninterrupted power at the Centre for 50 long months with their support.</b> The Left did not even expect a share in the spoils of office in return. What prevented him from breaking free from âenslavementâ earlier?
E.M. Joseph,
Madurai
* * * *
<b>
Perhaps this is the first time in the history of Indian democracy that a Prime Minister, without answering a single question raised by various MPs, has won a trust vote and taken pride in it.</b> He has paved the way for our slavery to the U.S. Now that the UPA has won, it can tax the common man more and inflate the economy further.
N. Ramachandran,
Durgapur
* * * *
<b>
Is the UPA governmentâs victory worth celebration? It bargained with JMM leader Shibu Soren, thus adding three votes to its kitty.</b> Mamata Banerjee abstained from voting. Two MDMK rebels voted for the government. I am leaving out the bargain struck with Amar Singh. Dr. Singh has lost the faith of the people and damaged the credibility of democracy.
R. Muthusubramanian,
Chennai
* * * *
<b>
After an unparalleled and vociferous ruckus, the UPA has finally won the trust vote. But while the government of India has won, Parliament has lost. It has lost its credibility and sanctity. </b>The most deplorable spectre was that of BJP MPs waving bundles of rupees claiming they were offered money to abstain from voting. It reduced the political affairs to a sorry state.
Gulam Jeelani,
New Delhi
* * * *
<b>
As pointed out by Prakash Karat, Tuesday was indeed a sad day for democracy. All those who watched the pandemonium in Parliament felt the same way.</b> Our MPs are there to raise their voice for the people who vote for them, not for displaying the amount they were offered as bribes.
Shibin Joseph,
Kozhikode
* * * *
<b>
The dignity of Parliament has suffered immensely in recent years. While election of âbhaisâ and âdadasâ has become common, some of our honourable lawmakers were caught on camera accepting money to raise questions in Parliament.</b> On July 22, yet another reprehensible chapter was added to the history of Parliament, when some lawmakers made a mockery of our most highly regarded institution.
Khan Yasir,
New Delhi
* * * *
<b>
The existence of horse-trading was well known. But one would never have imagined that it would be brought out into the open in Parliament. </b>MPs resorting to such degrading levels of conduct â accepting bribes and displaying them â is truly devastating. Portraying the bribe as a matter of proof made the floor of the House a courtroom. The Prime Minister might have won the trust vote but he has not done so convincingly.
Radhee Krishna,
Bangalore
* * * *
<b>
Usually motions are tabled in Parliament. On Tuesday, wads of currency were tabled in the legislature of the worldâs largest democracy. What a shame! </b>Whatever the accusations and counter-accusations, it appears that parliamentary democracy in India is on its death bed.
Vasa Srinivasa Murthy,
Visakhapatnam
* * * *
<b>
Shifting loyalties, wheeling-dealing, dinner diplomacy, deals within deals, horse-trading, mockery of peopleâs mandate, throwing values to the winds, tunnel vision â these are polite epithets used by the people to describe the proceedings in Parliament during the confidence vote. If this is the opinion of the people, what moral authority does the UPA have to continue in office?</b>
One thing became abundantly clear â there is an urgent need to carry out electoral reforms. As a first step, concepts of outside support and issue-based support should be abolished. The ruling coalition should be considered a single party and the members leaving it can do so only by resigning from Parliament.
Col. Ram Gulrajani (retd.),
Chennai
* * * *
<b>
The world watched as our parliamentarians fought inside the sacred precincts of democracy on Monday and Tuesday. Acrimonious allegations, personal attacks and intolerance of othersâ opinions marked the debate. To say it was in bad taste is an understatement. </b>It is time to take the power out of the hands of politicians. The people must have the power to participate almost on a day-to-day basis in the decision-making process. We need to go beyond representative democracy. Auguste Comte coined the word sociocracy for collective rule by people. Worldwide discussions are on to adopt sociocracy for more direct and participatory democracy at national and international levels.
Augustine Kuriapilly,
Nagercoil
<b>
The Indo-U.S. nuclear deal was never an issue of the people. Scientists hold conflicting views on the subject while many of our MPs do not even understand the nuances of the highly technical issue. Yet the issue drove the UPA government to seek a trust vote and it won it on Tuesday. </b>Parliament might have spoken but the people, who are languishing thanks to the soaring prices of every commodity they consume, have not.
<b>
It was highly unethical on the part of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to say that the Left parties wanted him to behave as their bonded slave (July 23). His government survived for four years on their support.</b> They did not, as claimed by Dr. Singh, veto every decision of his on the nuclear deal but only those that were detrimental to the interests of the people and the nation.
S.R. Krishnamurthy,
Thanjavur
* * * *
<b>
To say the least, it was uncharitable on the part of Dr. Singh to have said what he did about the Left parties, especially after enjoying uninterrupted power at the Centre for 50 long months with their support.</b> The Left did not even expect a share in the spoils of office in return. What prevented him from breaking free from âenslavementâ earlier?
E.M. Joseph,
Madurai
* * * *
<b>
Perhaps this is the first time in the history of Indian democracy that a Prime Minister, without answering a single question raised by various MPs, has won a trust vote and taken pride in it.</b> He has paved the way for our slavery to the U.S. Now that the UPA has won, it can tax the common man more and inflate the economy further.
N. Ramachandran,
Durgapur
* * * *
<b>
Is the UPA governmentâs victory worth celebration? It bargained with JMM leader Shibu Soren, thus adding three votes to its kitty.</b> Mamata Banerjee abstained from voting. Two MDMK rebels voted for the government. I am leaving out the bargain struck with Amar Singh. Dr. Singh has lost the faith of the people and damaged the credibility of democracy.
R. Muthusubramanian,
Chennai
* * * *
<b>
After an unparalleled and vociferous ruckus, the UPA has finally won the trust vote. But while the government of India has won, Parliament has lost. It has lost its credibility and sanctity. </b>The most deplorable spectre was that of BJP MPs waving bundles of rupees claiming they were offered money to abstain from voting. It reduced the political affairs to a sorry state.
Gulam Jeelani,
New Delhi
* * * *
<b>
As pointed out by Prakash Karat, Tuesday was indeed a sad day for democracy. All those who watched the pandemonium in Parliament felt the same way.</b> Our MPs are there to raise their voice for the people who vote for them, not for displaying the amount they were offered as bribes.
Shibin Joseph,
Kozhikode
* * * *
<b>
The dignity of Parliament has suffered immensely in recent years. While election of âbhaisâ and âdadasâ has become common, some of our honourable lawmakers were caught on camera accepting money to raise questions in Parliament.</b> On July 22, yet another reprehensible chapter was added to the history of Parliament, when some lawmakers made a mockery of our most highly regarded institution.
Khan Yasir,
New Delhi
* * * *
<b>
The existence of horse-trading was well known. But one would never have imagined that it would be brought out into the open in Parliament. </b>MPs resorting to such degrading levels of conduct â accepting bribes and displaying them â is truly devastating. Portraying the bribe as a matter of proof made the floor of the House a courtroom. The Prime Minister might have won the trust vote but he has not done so convincingly.
Radhee Krishna,
Bangalore
* * * *
<b>
Usually motions are tabled in Parliament. On Tuesday, wads of currency were tabled in the legislature of the worldâs largest democracy. What a shame! </b>Whatever the accusations and counter-accusations, it appears that parliamentary democracy in India is on its death bed.
Vasa Srinivasa Murthy,
Visakhapatnam
* * * *
<b>
Shifting loyalties, wheeling-dealing, dinner diplomacy, deals within deals, horse-trading, mockery of peopleâs mandate, throwing values to the winds, tunnel vision â these are polite epithets used by the people to describe the proceedings in Parliament during the confidence vote. If this is the opinion of the people, what moral authority does the UPA have to continue in office?</b>
One thing became abundantly clear â there is an urgent need to carry out electoral reforms. As a first step, concepts of outside support and issue-based support should be abolished. The ruling coalition should be considered a single party and the members leaving it can do so only by resigning from Parliament.
Col. Ram Gulrajani (retd.),
Chennai
* * * *
<b>
The world watched as our parliamentarians fought inside the sacred precincts of democracy on Monday and Tuesday. Acrimonious allegations, personal attacks and intolerance of othersâ opinions marked the debate. To say it was in bad taste is an understatement. </b>It is time to take the power out of the hands of politicians. The people must have the power to participate almost on a day-to-day basis in the decision-making process. We need to go beyond representative democracy. Auguste Comte coined the word sociocracy for collective rule by people. Worldwide discussions are on to adopt sociocracy for more direct and participatory democracy at national and international levels.
Augustine Kuriapilly,
Nagercoil