Introspect CPM
The recent elections have shown that the Leftists will now be consigned to history. The Left narrow loss in Kerala is only due to the clean and no-nonsense image of VS Achutanandan, the ex-CM. The Leftists came to power in 2005 elections. Their rise was followed by the untimely demise of Harkishan Singh Surjeet and later Jyoti Basu, the saner and more tolerable faces of the Left. The comrades like Prakash and Brinda Karat, Sitaram Yechury, Biman Bose, Nirupam Sen took centre-stage and created havoc with their immature politics. The brat brigade must own up their responsibility and exit. The Left parties are losing relevance, with their outdated mindsets and non-focused policies that are not at all in sync with the times. In the present day, very few leftist bastions survive in the world. At present, the Leftists in India need to refocus their strategies and priorities, get them in tune with the times and append them with the nation's progress as a priority.
—BK Deshpande, Nagpur
II
In the state elections, the communist party was routed in West Bengal and narrowly missed majority in Kerala ('Didi slays Lenin, Amma slays Stalin, Karat slays Marx', May 14). In Kerala the conditions were ripe for winning, as the Congress and allied partners at the Centre were caught with various scams and corruption charges. In West Bengal, the conditions were not favourable and so the party was routed there. It is time for CPM to introspect and take corrective steps. Just finding fault with the winning parties will not be the remedy.
—AJ George, via email
Taking advantage
The report 'Maya Calls Rahul act a drama', (May 13) gives a peep into the tragic event where some farmers and policemen died and the Mayawati government came in for severe criticism, and rightly so. If we analyse the problem dispassionately, the main cause for all this is greed on the part of the illiterate farmers who are provoked by the vested interests in the villages to seek higher compensation from the state governments for the land they sold years back. They conveniently forget that the compensation they got at that time was readily accepted and there was no compulsion or coercion to sell their holdings at that particular rate. The political parties take advantage of such situations by supporting the agitations. The visit of Rahul Gandhi to the affected village in UP was a step in wrong direction.
—Yash P Verma, Pune
Gutter farming
It has come to light that farming alongside the suburban rail network in Mumbai has resulted in turning the vegetables produced into potential health hazards. Sewage water is used for irrigation and hygiene is at its worst. With thousands of hutments sprawling all around the network and the poor sanitation facilities provided, the surroundings are nothing but vast open cesspools of filth and squalor due to reckless littering and toxic waste being dumped by illegal units. Yet nothing is being done about it. The excuse given by the authorities is that this farming is allowed to avoid unlawful encroachment on railway land. It seems that such encroachments are considered far more serious than putting the health of countless citizens at risk by such unhygienic practices. Such is the apathy of the authorities. An alternate method to avoid encroachment would be to grow flowers instead which will not only help earn money but also improve the aesthetics around the tracks.
—Deepak Agharkar, via email
Justice denied
It is with reference to 'Hope flickers for Bhopal gas victims',(May 12). The apex court verdict dismissing a CBI petition seeking more stringent punishment for then UCIL chairman Keshub Mahindra and six others came as a shock for victims. It is a very strange verdict given by SC. The fact is that 3,787 men succumbed to injuries and 5,58,125 were injured, then how it isnot culpable homicide! The accused persons should be given stringent punishment. When there is no justice for victims of such a repressive and coercive incident, then how can common people hope for justice in minor issues?
—MD Gulzar, Mumbai
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