Need for law and order

Need for law and orderIn the recently held all-party meeting to arrive at a consensus on the issue of Lok Pal Bill, the prime minister is reported to have told that the institution of Lok pal should not detract from the legitimate authority of other institutions (‘All meet, leave on a one-liner’, July 4). But, it is precisely because the other institutions like the executive and the legislature did not exercise their authority and allowed corruption to grow to such a level that there has been a public clamour for a powerful Lok Pal. This reminds me of what Robert Kennedy, the attorney general in John Kennedy administration, once said. When some one pointed out that the Black Movement under Martin Luther King did not function within the framework of the laws he is reported to have quipped “How do you expect it to? It is your White men’s laws they are  against”. —VM Swaraj, ChennaiMaria, the celebrityIt is disgusting to see celebrity status being accorded by the media to Maria Susairaj, the Kannada actor convicted in the Neeraj Grover murder case (‘Maria seeks a return to innocence’, July 3). The mad rush to cast her in Bollywood and TV productions, exploiting her present sensational status, is indeed ironical because it was the absence of such an opportunity that drove her to take the life of the Adlabs executive. This shows the extent of degradation in the moral values of our society. —V Rajalakshmi, Mumbai No cricket politicsDilip Vengsarkar has hit the nail on head when he said that politicians should not dabble in cricket as it leads to delays in decision making (‘A different game’, June 3). Sharad Pawar, as union minister for food and agriculture, has several responsibilities. The debt-ridden farmers are committing suicide. Millions of tonnes of grains rot due to lack of adequate  storing space in the country while the poor go hungry. According to one estimate India needs 57mn tonnes of good storing space while actual capacity is just 31mn tonnes. So rest of the grains are stored in the open. Recently, the problem of over-production of sugar is plaguing the sugar mills due to lack of enough storage capacity. Add to this the problem of food inflation which has crippled the common man. No visible steps are emanating from the ministry of food & agriculture. Is it not time politicians devote time to these urgent problems and leave cricket to experts?—Arvind G Nadkarni, via emailPhenomenal wealthThe world is wonderstruck at the phenomenal quantity and quality of rare gems, emeralds, rubies, pearls, gold and other precious metals which surfaced when the temple treasury vaults of Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple at Thiruvananthapuram were inspected during the recent survey (‘Discovery of temple treasure worth Rs90,000 crore sparks debate on its preservation’, July 4). Already an absurd and ridiculous clamour for use of this wealth for ‘public benefit’ has begun coming in from social eagles and pseudo-secularists. Some want all the ‘temple-wealth’ to be thrown open for public benefit — which means giving access for loot by powers that be. The nation must publicly acknowledge the selflessness of the Tranvancore royals — the custodians of this wealth — and their devotion to the deity.  Also, credit must be given to those who managed to keep this precious treasure trove, away from the British. Current rulers of the state or the country have no right to handle or distribute this wealth and any suggestions to the contrary must be ignored. Don’t we have enough scams like 2G and CWG already? —CNN Nair, via emailBarred businessApropos ‘Up to something, silently’, (July 4), it was amusing that although the policemen are aware that over 350 such ‘silent’ bars exist in Mumbai, only 40 have been raided so far. One thing is certain that such bars can’t continue to operate without the tacit support of the local police station and politicians. It is only when either proper hafta does not reach them or the higher authorities caution them that some eye wash action is initiated by the policemen and after that things are back to square one.—Vanita Shenoy, Mumbai