VP election
While the victory of National Democratic Alliance candidate Jagdeep Dhankhar without worry is only due to disarray within the opposition ranks, the shocking thing is that out of 725 votes cast, 15 votes were invalid.
This is a great disgrace and blot on our parliamentary democracy. Casting one’s ballot does not require a great deal of knowledge and technical knowledge. It is ironic that what the common Indian knows is a hindrance to some parliamentarians. If so, how can our representatives understand the intricacies of inflation or other issues to debate and question in Parliament? It is no surprise that in the last five years, 1.29 crore angry voters have pressed the NOTA button on EVMs.
Rajamani Chelladurai,
Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu
There is an expectation that Mr Dhankhar adheres to the norms as the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. His past as a man who in his political career often swung between parties and where, as the governor of West Bengal, he did everything to defeat the cause of cooperative federalism, should be quietly erased.
Vidyut Kumar Chatterjee,
Faridabad, Haryana
Someone expected that the beautiful and experienced Margaret Alva would become the country’s next vice-president. But it was not to be. There is only one hope that Mr. Dhankhar will discharge his duties fairly and fairly and fairly. The outgoing Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu has set a very good example of how a Speaker should conduct himself in the Rajya Sabha.
Tharsisius S Fernando,
Chennai
Although Mr Dhankhar’s victory was a foregone conclusion, the result only exposed the gap in the opposition’s armor. Even more astonishing and equally disturbing was that the self-styled captain of the ship of opposition unity, Mamata Banerjee herself became the destroyer.
Ayyassery Rabindranath,
Aranmula, Kerala
Margaret Alva was not happy with her defeat. His lament that some opposition leaders did not support him is a case of sour grapes. It was already decided that the NDA’s choice would eventually go ahead. There is no denying that the BJP has stolen a march on the opposition to ensure the victory of both its presidential and vice-presidential candidates. Ms. Alva can take heart from the fact that she was rejected only by the people’s representatives, not the people.
Shivamani Vasudevan,
Chennai
on patriotism
Citizens in a democratic country should have the freedom to display as much patriotism as possible. Conversely, asking all citizens to display their social media/images to display the national flag would only catalyze a ‘follow the crowd’ mentality. Perhaps, the move could provide an opportunity for self-appointed ‘digital vigilance groups’ to judge the degree of patriotism of others who have access to them online. Hence, the opposition’s response to this call is a right step towards breaking the mob mentality with its own twist. In a democracy no single political party should be allowed to hijack patriotism.
A. Venkatasubramaniam,
Tiruchi, Tamil Nadu
medal rush
India’s medal race in Commonwealth Games 2022 is a proud moment for the country. As the country nears its 75th Independence Day, the victory signifies a new and resurgent India that seeks to take its place on a pedestal.
Subhash Balakrishnan,
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada