Page 6 - 31MAY2019E

Letters
PEACE MUST BE
THE only GoAl
With reference to the online report “India, Pakistan armies trade
fire along LoC in Poonch” (May 2)
Two nations created out of one
at a critical juncture still have
unresolved issues that will
continue to fester as long as
their leaders and citizens act
irresponsibly.
Instead of being caught in a
whirlpool of hate, leaders on
both sides should be solution-
oriented so that there is some
chance for peace. Moreover,
both nations belong to a region
of the world where there are
unemployment, poverty and
health issues. War is no solution.
The need is to tone down
the rhetoric and think of peace
by keeping in mind long-term
developmental goals.
JASPrEET SinGH
Tehelka / 31 may 2019 6 www.Tehelka.com
letters@tehelka.com
People losing interest of a government led by it.
in long-phased polling The possibility of one of the
With reference to the report “The race for Race leaders of the regional parties
Course gets tougher” by Tehelka Bureau (May 15) like Mayawati and Mamata
Most people have not become Banerjee leading the govern-
fatigued or lost interest in ment with the support of the
politics despite the long-phased Congress cannot be ruled out.
polling and the long wait for the It all depends on what May 23
election results. Now the con- holds out for the parties. May
versation, be it at home, work- 23 will reveal whether the rise
place, tea stalls or elsewhere of Hindu Right or the retreat
centres on who will become the from secularism is aberrant and
next Prime Minister. While the temporary or people conscious
results cannot be predicted with choice for long-term
any certainty, it appears that no G DaviD milton
party or alliance is going get a
majority on its own. The general election of 2019
A hung Parliament appears will go down in history as one
to be what we are headed to. of the most acrimonious ever;
One thing is for sure — it is going the name calling, unwarranted
to be a coalition government. and uncharitable references to
The parties that are inclined to the dead, gross violations of the
be part of a coalition govern-
Model Code of Conduct are some
ment led by Congress outnum- examples which have been
ber the parties that feel at ease in
BJP’s company. glossed over by an ineffective EC.
The desperation to win a de-
The Opposition is so op- cisive mandate is clearly mani-
timistic that it is reported to fest in the low-level diatribes,
have decided to knock on the lies and half-truths being uttered
President’s door soon after the by lead campaigners, unmindful
announcement t of the results
to stake claim to form the next of their stature and position.
The EC, which woke up from
government and pre-empt any its slumber, has then proceeded
kind of manipulation by BJP. to hand out “clean chits”. With
The key to government
their partisan coverage, large
formation will be certainly in sections of the media too have
the hands of regional parties. It covered themselves with shame
is unlikely that the BJP will make
up for the losses in states where by failing to portray the correct
picture of the election.
it reached the saturation point cv aravinD
in 2014 with the gains it now While the jury is still out on who
hopes to make in states like West
Bengal and Odisha. the victor will be in the gen-
If BJP manages to cross, say
the 220 mark (unlikely), it will eral election of 2019, the loser
seek to cobble up a government is, without much thought, the
Election Commission of India. In
with parties that are ideological- the eyes of the people, its cred-
ly not very hostile to it. No assur- ibility as a neutral umpire in the
ance might persuade the DMK
respected exercise of elections
to join hands with BJP, given its has been dented, largely due to
passionate opposition to what its own making.
the saffron party represents. If
While it deserves to be ap-
the Congress crosses, say the preciated for carrying out the
140 mark (likely), it could, given humongous task of conducting
the like-mindedness, attract the
major regional parties to be part elections efficiently, its leni-
ent approach in checking the