Page 6 - 15MAR2019E

Letters
FOCUS ON ENDING
VVPAT GLITCHES
With reference to the report “How safe are EVMs? Are your votes
correctly processed by the machines?” by Sarrah (February 15) ers have by becoming majority
It is a well-established fact that
with VVPATs, manipulation of
EVMs is practically impossible.
If glitches are the argument for
replacing systems, we cannot
trust any system in the world.
The paper ballot is most
susceptible to rigging. It is a
closed chapter in this country.
The focus should be on ending
VVPAT glitches. Political parties
must stop crying foul over a well
functioning system.
P MANGALACHANDrAN
Tehelka / 15 march 2019 6 www.Tehelka.com
letters@tehelka.com
In Jet Air deal, public funds appointments, which in turn
being used for private gain would secure the independence
With reference to the report “What ails Jet of the judiciary, will work.
Airways” by Suman (January 31) In such a scenario, the discre-
One can only see a clear winner tion of the government and the
in the bank-led rescue attempt discretion of the retired judge
of Jet Airways — Naresh Goyal, would be substituted for the dis-
who will be laughing all the cretion of the committee which
way to the bank, with the banks could be equally faulty.
becoming majority sharehold- The best way would be to
ers while management control marginally increase the retire-
could remain with Goyal. ment age of judges and see that
Conversion of bank debt into there are no post-retirement
equity at a notional value of 1 is appointments.
nothing but recognition that the When the seniority of
debt would not be paid. Supreme Court judges was
To add insult to injury, banks overlooked in the appointment
have also committed themselves of the Chief Justice of India, Nani
to meet a “funding gap” of 8,500 Palkhivala had said, “Hereaf-
crore, which is nothing but tak- ter we will have only looking
ing a quasi-equity exposure at forward judges and not forward
debt pricing. looking judges.”
There seems to be little new
That will equally apply when
contribution by the promoters retired judges seek office or
in the entire scheme by way of
fresh funds. are appointed to office after
retirement.
What benefit would lend-
kk ram siddhartha
shareholders with nominees While post-retirement jobs must
on the board? There are various neither be offered nor sought
inter-connected reasons as
to why banks essentially fund by retired judges of all grades,
the accompanying question
through debt rather than is whether retired judges can
equity. aspire for high positions.
If banks began preferring
Two very respected judges
equity exposure to debt, for of the Supreme Court of India,
whatever reasons, the cost of contested, after retirement, for
financial intermediation would
rise substantially, making Indian the post of President of India,
and both lost.
industry totally non-compet- Though one may argue that
itive. Overall, the deal appears they deserved the post, they
to be another case of public
could have been more judicious
resources being used for private in turning down the offer. Judges
gain. sushil Prasad must remain aloof, both during
and after their tenure. V lakshmanan
Post-retirement jobs for
judges must stop soon Constitution must prevail
With reference to the report “Right or wrong: over customary practices
Post-retirement jobs for judges” by Charanjit
Ahuja and YK Kalia With reference to the report “BJP sees Sabari-
It is not clear how the writer’s mala as its key to enter Kerala” by KV Lakshmana
suggestion that a committee The centuries-old belief that
made up of retired judges decide Lord Ayyappa is a ‘naishtika
the question of who among brahmachari’ is an amusing
retired judges should be chosen argument to be put forth in the
for post-retirement government Supreme Court. Has the Lord