Letters: Democracy - roots and rout

A K Bhattacharya highlights how all political parties in India are accountable for the economy’s downslide. A responsible government and a responsive opposition are the sine qua non of a vibrant democracy. As the first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru laid the foundation of such a culture. In spite of a high majority in Parliament, he treated the Opposition with dignity and paid attention to its demands. The Opposition too behaved constructively. This lofty tradition declined during the subsequent Congress regime and now the situation resembles a dialogue between the dumb and the deaf. Sonia Gandhi considers it below her dignity to talk to BJP leaders, and Manmohan Singh is not known for his negotiation skills. The second factor is the obstinacy of the Congress party in monopolising the credit for electorally attractive measures. Right to Information and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act are being trouted as Sonia Gandhi’s brainchild. It is time the parties listened to the author’s sober and objective advice.

Y G Chouksey Pune

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