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Thursday, May 07, 2009

Letters-75: "Election Dadagiri"

1. The editorial, "Election dadagiri in Tamil Nadu" (The Hindu, May 5, 2009), was timely and apt. The trend in Tamil Nadu, as elsewhere, seems to be to bulldoze one's way through time-tested ethical practices to victory. As for the quickly introduced and withdrawn 'bus fare cut' across the State, the damage has been done despite the Election Commission's timely intervention. The voter has been made to believe that the ruling party is all for mitigating his woes and it is only the Election Commission that is coming in the way. - B.Shivashankar, Bangalore.

2. It is unfortunate that the Tamil Nadu government sought to reduce bus fares when the elections were on. It is surprising that such a flagrant violation of the model code of conduct could take place when a seasoned politician, M.Karunanidhi, is at the helm. The Chief Secretary has been forced to eat humble pie and the government made to roll back the fare reduction. - R.Sekar, Visakapatnam.

3. We generally find Ministers and government officials performing the unhappy task of explaining upward revisions in bus fares and the like. But in Tamil Nadu, we have witnessed the strange spectacle of their explaining away a downward revision. The hapless commuters became pawns in a game played at the highest levels. - C.Paranthaman, Chennai.

4. The Tamil Nadu government played a cruel joke on poor bus passengers. Who came up with the idea of fare cut? Who gave oral instructions to transport corporations? Why did not the managing directors of the undertakings insist on a written order? - A.Ramasubbier, chennai.

5. It is a pity that almost all political parties violate the model code with ease in election after election but no effective measures are taken to stop them. The parties would do well to understand that the people are not fools. they can see through desperate measures like unannounced reductions in bus fares in the midst of elections. - Vinod Kumar Pillai, Thiruvananthapuram.

6. Everyone knows that dadagiri determines the election results in most of the constituencies of Tamil Nadu, particularly Madurai. Every party wants to win by hook or by crook, caring little for the rules. - N.Venu, Nagercoil.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, May 6, 2009.

Grateful thanks to M/s.B.Shivashankar, R.Sekar, C.Paranthaman, A.Ramasubbier, Vinod Kumar Pillai, N.Venu and The Hindu, India's National Newspaper.

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