press trust of india
NEW DELHI, 14 JUNE: The Rs 2,058-crore deal struck by Jet Airways to sell 24 per cent of its stake to Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways was put on hold today by the government’s foreign investment approving agency which sought more clarity on control and ownership of the Indian airline.
“It (Jet-Etihad proposal) has been deferred. We need more details on effective control and ownership,” economic affairs secretary Mr Arvind Mayaram, who heads the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB),” told reporters after a meeting here.
Market regulator Sebi and competition watchdog CCI have already sought clarifications from the premier private carrier on the transaction, to ensure that Etihad’s ownership powers in Jet remains in line with its 24 per cent stake in the company’s equity capital.
Asked about the development, civil aviation minister Mr Ajit Singh said Sebi has raised some concerns and asked both the airlines to “rectify some parts of the pact.” “I don’t see any major problem for the deal,” Mr Singh said. When contacted, Jet sources said they have already submitted the necessary clarifications to Sebi.
It could not be ascertained when the FIPB would take up the Jet-Etihad proposal next. Once the FIPB clears it, the matter would be sent to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs for approval. All deals over Rs 1,200 crore have to be approved by CCEA.

pradip chatterjee 
KOLKATA, 14 JUNE: Jasim Ahmed has overcome his disability to rank seventh in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) under the OBC category (sub category PH) for admission to under-graduate medical courses in West Bengal but still doesn’t know whether he will be able to achieve his dream of becoming a doctor as his poor father is unable to fund his studies.
By virtue of his rank he is entitled to a seat in one of the state-run medical colleges in Kolkata. He has also ranked 71st for the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune.
Shamim Ahmed, Jasim’s father, who works as a superviser in a plastic factory in Chowbaga on Basanti Highway, was all smiles after his son secured a rank in the NEET examination held on 5 May this year. Shamim was elated that his son finally beat the odds to taste success.
Now the biggest worry for the father is how to arrange funds to help his son realise his dreams of becoming a doctor.
Shamim earns Rs 4,000 a month, which is not enough to fund his son’s education. He has to maintain his family with this meagre amount, apart from providing funds for his four schoolgoing daughters. Jasim’s mother is a housewife.
A good student all through since childhood Jasim had passed the higher secondary examination from Md Jan Higher Secondary School in 2008. Since then he has been striving for success. He gave private tuition to local students to arrange money for his studies. It was never easy for a boy with a lower limb deformity to visit places to give private tuitions. His aim is to join one of the city’s hospitals so that he can serve the less fortunate who cannot afford to go to private nursing homes for treatment.
"I wanted to become a doctor to treat poor patients. I struggled hard to crack the examination. But still I don’t know how I will arrange funds to fulfill the long-cherished dream," said a misty eyed Jasim.
Despite the dark clouds over his future career, the residents of Tangra where the boy lives are proud of him. Mr Suman Sadhu said: "The boy has made us proud. We have seen him toiling hard for many years to find a place on the merit list."
Shamim Ahmed said: "We will appeal to the state government to help realise my son’s dream as he has fared remarkably well.  But his future still hangs in the balance as the financial logistics have to be worked out."

Uncontested wins: SEC seeks reports
KOLKATA, 14 JUNE: In the wake of around 5,259 panchayat seats going uncontested for the first phase panchayat polls to be held on 2 July, mostly in favour of the ruling Trinamul Congress, the State Election Commission (SEC) has sought reports from district magistrates of seven south Bengal districts that have thrown up a maximum number of uncontested candidates. The SEC tonight hinted that in the absence of adequate security for the polls, it might increase the polling phase from three to four and there could be even multiple-phase voting in a district. “But this is a matter that is to be decided with due permission from the High Court,” SEC secretary Tapas Ray said this evening.  sns
details on page 5
Prof falls on tracks, loses foot
KOLKATA, 14 JUNE: A professor of Jadavpur University slipped and fell on the railway tracks near Palbazar station at Jadavpur and before he could rise a train ran over his right foot. Prof Gupinath Bhandari, with his right foot severed, lay unconscious on the spot for over half-an-hour as a crowd gathered there, but none came to his help. The incident took place this morning when the professor of the Civil Engineering department, on his way to JU, was crossing the tracks. sns
details on page 13

Where Does India Stand?
sankar sen
THE convincing victory of the Pakistan Muslim League (N)  in the recent election under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif will hopefully mark the beginning of a new era in Pakistan. During the election campaign, nearly all the parties had campaigned for improving relations with India. Their manifestos indicated a growing consensus among politicians for a detente with this country. Mr Sharif&’s party went to the extent of saying that it would open the trade route between India, Afghanistan and beyond through Pakistan.
Both the political class and the intelligentsia in Pakistan seem to have realised that China, its most trusted all-weather ally, will not be able to bail the country out. Its  salvation lies in strengthening ties with India and taking advantage of its growing economy.
The run-up to the election was particularly violent. The  Pakistani Taliban targeted the secular parties to disrupt the tryst with democracy. Over 100 political activists, including some candidates, were killed. Perhaps because of a tacit understanding, the terrorists did not attack the rallies of Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan. The violence did not dampen the enthusiasm of the voters, however. The turnout was high, with 60 per cent of the electorate exercising its franchise. While the Pakistan People&’s Party and the Awami National Party (ANP) accepted the drubbing they suffered, Imran Khan&’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, which won only 34 seats in the National Assembly, alleged widespread rigging.  Imran tried to woo the young and apolitical voters, but he could not make a dent in Sharif&’s stronghold of Punjab.  In popular perception, the PTI is a one-man show rather than a party. Further, Imran could not break the biradari structure of Pakistan politics. It is one thing to rant against corruption and patronage-based politicians; quite another to offer a viable democratic alternative. However, the PTI has fared impressively in Khyber Pukhtunkhawa.
During post-election press conferences and television interviews, Nawaz Sharif has indicated that he wants to mend fences and improve relations with India. As a successful businessman, he is aware that better trade relations will benefit Pakistan. Its economy has done well in terms of trade and India is quite obviously the only  market to be tapped. Indian imports will be cheaper and help Pakistan tackle inflation. He may even take steps to grant the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India. However, resistance from the army cannot be ruled out.
President Zardari was also keen on improving ties with India, but he was thwarted by the establishment and could not do much. With his strong mandate from the Punjab, Sharif is in a better position to do something more substantial than Zardari. In an interview to the Wall Street Journal, he signalled his intent “to pick up the threads where they were left” and resolve the remaining issues with India through peaceful means. He has gone to the extent of saying that if he comes to power he would share the reports on the Kargil operations and the Mumbai outrage with India. He has  stated that he will seek to assert civilian supremacy over the army. How far he will be able to do so is, of course, open to question.
The military establishment will vociferously oppose such initiatives because it will denude the army&’s pre-eminent position in the country and also dent its image as the saviour of Pakistan. It will also threaten the army&’s economic empire built up over the years. Beyond a point, it will not allow the humiliation of the former Army Chief, Pervez Musharraf, now imprisoned in his farmhouse. Nor for that matter  will it allow a thorough probe into the Kargil incursion because of the fear that skeletons  will tumble out of the cupboard. Perhaps it will be wiser for Sharif to allow them to rest there.   Should the need arise, the army might use the terrorists and take the help of Imran Khan to settle scores with Nawaz Sharif.
To improve relations with India, Sharif will have to rein in the jihadi outfits such as Lashkar-i-Toiba and Lashkar-i-Jangvi, which are operating against India from within Pakistan. Before the election, Sharif&’s party had concluded behind-the-scene agreements with many of the jihadi entities. His brother, Shahbaz Sharif&’s government in Punjab secured the help of the banned anti-Shia outfits, notably the Sipah-e-Salva.
The Prime Minister has cordial relations with the Lashkar chief, Hafiz Sayeed. The extent to which he will be able to exercise control over the jihadi outfits remains to be seen. These groups have developed vested interests and wield considerable influence in rural Punjab. They will not abjure violence so readily. If thwarted, they may even turn against the master. At best, there could be a measure of calculated remission but not elimination of the jihadi terror threat.
Sharif will also have to reach out to the leaders of other provinces to maintain national unity. The province of Punjab has traditionally dominated the country&’s armed forces, judiciary and the civil services. If the trend persists under  a democratic dispensation, it is bound to be resisted by the smaller ethnic groups. It is significant that despite the high turnout overall, very few voted in the volatile province of  Baluchistan. Indeed, the regional split between the Punjab and other provinces has been accentuated.
In Afghanistan, it remains to be seen whether Sharif endorses the army&’s policy of supporting the Taliban to secure a “strategic depth” for Pakistan. Both the military and the bureaucracy believe that Pakistan deserves a proprietary role in Afghanistan. The Taliban&’s efforts ~ with the support of Pakistan ~ to gain complete ascendancy in Afghanistan might ignite a civil war that could endanger Pakistan.
India has no place in Pakistan&’s vision of Afghanistan, post the pullout of US troops. And this is unlikely to change. Instead of being overly optimistic, India ought to observe the evolution of developments in Pakistan. Sharif will first have to strengthen his position within the country and then initiate his promised change in dealings with India. Till then, Delhi would do well to wait and watch.

The writer is Senior Fellow, Institute of Social Sciences; former Director-General, National Human Rights Commission; and former Director, National Police Academy

statesman news service
NEW DELHI, 13 JUNE: On the last year of its second term and facing a disappointed electorate in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls over the general state of the economy, the Congress-led UPA government today announced that it will accelerate reforms and spur investments in critical sectors.
The government’s announcement came in the wake of stalled reforms and stuck pro-liberalisation legislation for want of consensus with allies as well as the Opposition. Significantly it also came a day after official data showed India’s industrial production registered its lowest growth in several years in April this year.
The announcement was made at a Press conference here by the Union finance minister, Mr P Chidambaram, who said the government will initiate a number of reforms such as lifting the cap on foreign direct investment in the coming weeks to spur growth.
“I expect a number of decisions in the next few days and weeks. In June, you can expect a number of decisions taken and implemented that will accelerate reforms and spur investments in critical sectors,” he said. The reforms will include allowing foreign direct investment (FDI) in various sectors, including Defence and skill development, and rationalisation of coal and gas prices, he said.
Mr Chidambaram also indicated that the government is likely to announce measures to ensure proper supply of coal to power plants.
Stressing that economic reforms were not a one-day game, Mr Chidambaram asked investors to take a long-term view on India’s growth story.
“My appeal to everyone is that we have to take a long term view ~ what’s happening in India and what will be the results we will achieve over a period of time,” he said.
On the continuing slide in rupee value, Mr Chidambaram said there was no need to panic and the rupee will stabilise in the next few days.
Don’t buy gold
In somewhat controversial remarks, he also asked people to resist the temptation of buying gold for the sake of the health of the economy. “I once again appeal to everyone to resist the temptation to buy gold. This will show positive impact on every aspect of the Indian economy.”
The finance minister said reduction in gold imports would have a big positive impact on vital macro-economic indicators, especially the current account deficit, trade deficit and inflation.
“People think that they are buying gold in rupees, actually they are buying gold in dollars… If for one year there are no gold imports, it will change the current account deficit story of the country,” he said.
Disinvestment 
Mr Chidambaram said he was confident of achieving the target of Rs 40,000 crore from stake sale in public sector firms in the current fiscal.
He said the government plans to sell 10 per cent stake in Coal India that would fetch around Rs 20,000 crore to the exchequer.
The finance minister said the disinvestment proceeds will be used to finance expansion plans of other public sector undertakings, especially banks.

statesman news service
KOLKATA, 13 JUNE: MMTC’s divestment through offer for sale (OFS) route today attracted bids which were more than 1.5 times of the shares on offer, making it a successful beginning for the government’s divestment programme this financial year.
The issue attracted bids for over 14.42 crore shares, accounting for 154 per cent of 9.33 crore shares on offer at the close of market hours, according to data available with the Bombay Stock Exchange.
The indicative price, at which the bids were made, was 60.86 as against the floor price of Rs 60, announced by the government yesterday. At the indicative price, the share sale is expected to fetch over Rs 567 crore to the exchequer.
The stake sale would help the company meet the 10 per cent minimum public shareholding norm, as stipulated by the market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India. The government held 99.3 per cent stake in the trading major before the OFS.
According to stock exchange data, more than 38 per cent bids were made with 100 per cent margin money, while the remaining 116 per cent bids were made with no margin money.
The government has embarked on an ambitious divestment programme this financial year, targeting to raise Rs 40,000 crore through this mode.
The government had shortlisted Avendus Securities Private Limited, IDBI Capital Market Services Limited and IDFC Securities Limited for managing the MMTC disinvestment.
Meanwhile, in stocks market today, MMTC suffered a steep fall of around 10 per cent and touched the lower circuit limit in opening trade, resulting in a halt in trading of the share for the entire day. In the Bombay Stock Exchange, the share price plunged by 9.98 per cent to Rs 190.35. In the National Stock Exchange, the scrip suffered an identical fall and touched its 52-week low at Rs 189.05.

statesman news service
LUCKNOW, 13 JUNE: The BJP national general secretary and Uttar Pradesh in-charge Amit Shah (file photo) today discounted the idea of a Third Front in the 2014 election stressing the current polity has now become bipolar. 
He said the BJP was alive to the prevailing incumbency against the UPA government and added the road for the saffron party to Delhi lay via Lucknow. In his first Press conference after assuming the new responsibility entrusted upon him by his mentor and the national election committee chief Narendra Modi he said a change was definite in 2014 and the foundation of the same will be laid in Uttar Pradesh. He added the upcoming parliamentary poll will see the NDA government firmly in the saddle in Delhi.
Mr Shah said the Ram Mandir was on the agenda of the BJP and the VHPs proposal on the same will be looked into by the party. Unscathing in his criticism of the UPA government, he said the Congress-led government had failed on all counts. Dubbing it as the most corrupt government since Independence, he said prices of commodities had registered an astronomical rise and the condition of the poor and the downtrodden had gone from bad to worse.
Speaking on the internal security of the country, Mr Shah said the UPA government had failed to contain the threat from Maoists and terrorists. It had failed to adopt a zero tolerance policy towards them. He said the prestige of the country had taken a beating and the growth rate had fallen below five per cent. Mr Shah said in the light of these all-round failures of the Central government it had lost the moral and constitutional right to remain in power.
Mr Shah accused the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party for being hand in glove with the UPA government. He said had the two parties withdrawn their support the collapse of the UPA would have been imminent . The BJP’s UP in-charge said the winds if incumbency were discernible against the Akhilesh Yadav government in UP also. The SP was able to reap the benefit of the anti-incumbency factor against the BSP government in the 2012 Vidhan Sabha polls. But the 2014 elections will be a different story for the SP as the electorate now wants to see the BJP in power at the Centre, he said. 

statesman news service
HYDERABAD, 13 JUNE: TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu (file photo) today once again voiced his confidence about the emergence of a ‘Federal Front’, but this time largely to pre-empt any demand in the party that the TDP sail with the BJP in the 2014 elections.
“It is only a matter of time in the sense that the front, by whichever name you call it, would emerge either as a result of a pre-poll alliance or a post-poll one,” he told reporters.
Mr Naidu has been looking at a non-Congress and non-BJP front pretty keenly in the recent past. Ever since it was clear that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi would be the BJP&’s prime ministerial candidate, a chunk in the party prefer the TDP to go with the BJP as the latter is expected to gain considerably in Andhra Pradesh due to the “Modi factor”.
Their argument is that the minorities continue to be ill disposed to the TDP and so is the secular voter. “In this scenario it would be a win-win situation for the TDP and the BJP to ally rather than tread the time tested and pretty weak path with the Left,” a senior leader told The Statesman.
It is this kind of intra-party talk that Mr Naidu wants to stifle. He still does not want to distance the minorities irrespective of the percentage who favour him. And the past experience has shown that the BJP is a far tougher customer than any ally in the Third Front.
Significantly, Mr Naidu claimed that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is in touch with him. Sources, however, emphatically said neither Ms Banerjee nor Mr Naidu have spoken to each other regarding this in the recent past.
Mr Naidu also claimed that he is in touch with all the important leaders who want to be part of this formation. “As and when it is formed you will get to know about it, and also about who will play a role in its formation,”
he said.

The Congress as a party ought to be dissolved, for it was party to Britain&’s Imperial agenda. However, that is not what is on Modi’s mind, writes rajinder puri
In his opening 50-minute speech immediately after being declared Chairman of the BJP National Campaign Committee, Mr Narendra Modi gave a clarion call to his party workers. He said India should be developed by liberating the nation from the Congress. He sought a Congress- mukt nirmaan. This was like music to my ears. Readers would recall that this writer has repeatedly said that the Congress as an institution should be buried, even though Congress leaders may continue to rule the nation. This demand is made because the Congress acted as Imperial Britain&’s political instrument for partitioning India. To undo the spirit of Partition, it is necessary to discard the instrument that was used by Britain for achieving it. My demand echoes the last wish expressed by Mahatma Gandhi in his will released on the day of his assassination. He wanted the Congress as a political party to be dissolved.
Burying the Congress implies discarding much of its political and cultural legacy that has overwhelmed India&’s entire political and elite class. It implies a ruthless reappraisal of the political icons of the so-called freedom struggle worshiped by all sections of Indian society. It implies a searching probe into the respective roles of these icons in dividing Punjab and Bengal and their impotence in anticipating or preventing the horrendous bloodbath that followed the Partition.
It implies a critical appraisal of whether the two lawyers from Gujarat ~ Gandhi and Jinnah ~ or the two feudal lords from Uttar Pradesh ~ Nehru and Liaquat Ali ~ were at all acquainted with the ground realities of the provinces they tore apart. It implies the ability to acknowledge that our former icons were not Gods but human; even if they were great humans, it is human to err and they erred grievously.
It implies that the popular myth that Jinnah was responsible for Partition be rubbished. It implies that Britain&’s central role in achieving Partition by successfully manipulating Gandhi, Jinnah, Nehru, Liaquat and Sardar Patel is recognised and acknowledged on the basis of the irrefutable evidence available. It implies that to rid the nation of the Congress legacy, nothing less than a peaceful, democratic, cultural revolution is required. Ridding India of the Congress implies all this and more.
Does Mr Narendra Modi imply all this when he seeks Congress- mukt nirmaan? Or is it that all he seeks is to defeat the Congress led by Mrs Sonia Gandhi in a general election? That is what seems
likely.
If he were really committed against the Congress culture and legacy, he would not make haste to erect the tallest statue of Sardar Patel, whose role in allowing the Partition and colluding with the shameful betrayal of the secular Muslims of Punjab and Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan in NWFP cannot be glossed over. There is considerable historical evidence that has yet to attain public attention.
Undoubtedly, the truth and the whole truth will come out. Undoubtedly, the people of Punjab and Bengal will fight to propagate this truth and reclaim their cultural identities across national frontiers. Undoubtedly, such a movement for transparency and truth will prevail.
Mr Modi&’s party went berserk over Mr Advani&’s opportunistic remarks during his visit to Pakistan extolling Jinnah, who was Winston Churchill&’s puppet. Mr Advani deserves no kind words for his praise of Jinnah. But do the leaders of Mr Modi&’s party not deserve censure for continuing to distort history and propagate falsehood?
For a start, let them endorse the demand of the Central Information Commission (CIC) that the government should release and make public the speeches delivered by Jinnah over All India Radio prior to Independence. The CIC head Mr Satyananda Mishra said that time has come when all information relating to the pre-Independence period should be made public.
He said, “It is easy for any public authority to take the stand that everything relating to Pakistan or the leaders who went over to Pakistan should be kept secret or confidential and invoke the provisions of Section 8(1) (a) and not disclose the details. This will be a regressive stand.”  He added that history students and the general public have the right to know.
The question is: Do Mr Modi and his colleagues want to know?

The writer is a veteran journalist and cartoonist. He blogs at www.rajinderpuri.wordpress.com
 

press trust of india

LONDON, 12 JUNE: Indian contemporary art set new records at a Christie&’s auction here, fetching 4.7 million pounds through the sale of paintings by celebrated artists like Vasudeo S Gaitonde, Tyeb Mehta and M F Husain.
The highlight of the South Asian and Contemporary Art sale at the auction house yesterday was a major untitled work by abstract artist Gaitonde which sold for 625,875 pounds, with all his paintings going under the hammer for over 1.2 million pounds.
The collection had emerged on the auction circuit for the first time in 50 years and many of them have been acquired by a private art collector.
Some of them will now be seen next as part of a major retrospective on Gaitonde at the Guggenheim Museum in New York in 2014.
The exhibition is also expected to travel to the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Another well-known contemporary Indian artist, Husain, was also a major highlight of the show with some of his horse series and landscapes fetching over half a million pounds.
However, a rare work by the artist, titled ‘Ganga Jamuna’ from the ‘Mahabharata’ series and estimated to fetch over 600,000 pounds, failed to meet the reserve price and remained unsold.
The Christie&’s sale coincided with Husain&’s birth centenary year and included 19 of the famous painter&’s works. Nine of those went under the hammer for just under 1 million pound.
Among some of the other key works, Francis Newton Souza&’s ‘Red Houses’ was the toast of his selection, with all his seven paintings raising nearly 600,000 pounds. Street scenes and Rajasthani paintings by Syed Haider Raza also attracted major buyers, selling for over 400,000 pounds.
Simple scenes capturing Indian life seemed to attract a lot of attention with a sketch by Mehta titled ‘Head’ selling for 18,750 pounds and Subodh Gupta&’s ‘Train Station’ for 7,500 pounds.
The auction formed part of the Arts of India sale during London Indian Art Week at Christie&’s, which also included a large selection of fine classical paintings ~ from 17th century Mughal portraits to Rajput, Pahari and Company school paintings.

Parent ‘company’ plays the honest broker
SIR, ~   This is with reference to the report, “RSS brokers ceasefire” (12 June). Narendra Modi has welcomed L K Advani&’s U-turn within 24 hours. The latter has agreed to withdraw his resignation from party posts on the “advice” of the RSS chief. “I will personally address whatever complaints Advaniji has,”  is the assurance given by the BJP president, Rajnath Singh. It appears that the RSS chief, Mohan Bhagwat, forced Mr Advani to withdraw his resignation.
There is little doubt that Mr Advani wanted to become the Prime Minister. That dream has been shattered with the anointment of  Mr. Modi as the party&’s election campaign chief. There may be hope yet for Mr Advani as the Gujarat Chief Minister is yet to be projected as the BJP&’s prime ministerial candidate. And this could have prompted him to withdraw his resignation.
Mr Advani is known for such theatrics.  It bears recall that he had resigned from the party posts in the wake of the controversy over his praise for Mohammed Ali Jinnah.
yours, etc., s s paul, chakdaha (nadia), 12 june.

Is BJP digging its own grave?
SIR, ~ Mr LK Advani&’s resignation from party posts, which has now been withdrawn, would have harmed the Bharatiya Janata Party, which in the aftermath of the Goa conclave seems to be digging its own grave, and ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
  The octogenarian leader ought to have realised the damage his decision could cause to a party and the ideology that he has nurtured for a considerable period of his life. As an astute leader, he could well have sorted out the contentious issues through discussions.
  He ought also to have realised that nothing is permanent in this world, and it is a law of nature that the old gives place to the new. And a combination of young and  old leaders can benefit the party.
Narendra Modi is relatively young and can be trusted to preserve and protect the standing of the BJP in the political spectrum. Mr Advani will hopefully guide the party which, in the popular perception, can be an alternative to the thoroughly corrupt Congress.
yours, etc., s p sharma, mumbai, 11 june.

A Cong-BJP national govt
SIR, ~ My long-cherished desire is to see the Congress forming a national government in league with the BJP at the Centre. There is no major difference in the policies, programmes or even in the mode of functioning of the two parties. Both are nationalistic and democratic in their political philosophy.
 National integrity, international peace and cooperation, independence of the judiciary and , secularism are the guiding principles of both parties. To the Congress, secularism means dharma-nirapekshata and to the BJP it is a positive concept of sarba-dharma-sambhaba. Academic differences can be sorted out through discussions.
A strong, stable and responsible national government will be able to address both domestic and foreign policy issues, ensure progress and prosperity, and check horse-trading. There will be no need to appease any community for demographic dividend. Regional and caste-based parties will lose their clout, and this will minimise separatist tendencies.
Admittedly, a Congress-BJP national government will have to contend with certain inherent faultlines. But the system will definitely be better than the one that now exists. The people are tired of the Congress forming coalition governments with smaller parties with a very limited perspective.
yours, etc., ranjit kar, kolkata, 17 june.

Megalomania
SIR, ~ As an NRI living in the  UK, it was sad to see Mr LK Advani resigning from the party posts and in an emotionally-charged atmosphere. Instead of openly nurturing a desire to become the next Prime Minister, he ought to have handed over the reigns of power either to the younger Sushma Swaraj or Arun Jaitley after he turned 80. If he had done so, he could have avoided his predicament within the party.
  But politicians being politicians, they believe that they are indestructible and they often suffer from megalomania. But let me assure Mr Advani that the same reasons which defeated the BJP in the last two general elections will also inflict another defeat on the party under Narendra Modi in 2014.
yours, etc., m riaz hasan, middlesex (uk), 11 june.

Online RTI applications
SIR, ~ The decision of the Centre&’s Department of Personnel and Training to introduce online RTI applications and appeals is welcome. Citizens can now seek information and expose corruption at the click of a mouse. The facility ought to  be extended to the departments of the Delhi government, the courts, public sector undertakings, and the UPSC, CAG, CVC, CBI, CIC, etc.  In the matter of RTI applications, there should be no difference in procedure between the Centre and the states.
yours, etc., meera jhangiani, new delhi, 12 june