Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Who will lead?

Sir, — In his article, "A march towards fascism' (Dec. 28), Sitaram Yechury talks of mounting a frontal attack on communalists by secular forces. But who will lead such an attack and win? We do not have the Gandhis and the Nehrus in our midst but only politicians who recite the mantra of secularism with a view to garnering minority votes. And, the majority-minority divide is not only between Hindus and Muslims but also between the poor and the rich. Unless the Congress and the Left parties bring the "bread and butter" issues to the forefront during elections, communal forces will hold sway over the Indian polity.

K. Vijayakumar,
Bangalore

Sir, — The Congress, under the stewardship of Jawaharlal Nehru, succumbed to the pressures of the socialists and communists within and outside the party and changed the economic policy to socialism much against the pragmatic, free economic policy advocated by leaders such as Rajaji. Our dependence on the then Soviet Union for support on the Kashmir issue and supply of weapons also influenced us to adopt the socialist pattern of economic development. The licence and permit "raj" associated with it retarded our economic growth.

K.S. Kasinathan,
Chennai

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Opinion

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• World cup woes
• A dangerous confrontation.
• A time for introspection
• Challenge in corporate tax
• People want friendly ties with India
• A moral issue or plain politics?
• PM and connectivity
• Correct move
• Plight of Dalits
• Who will lead?
• Kelkar report
• Rly. timetables

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu