A left turn

• After the fall of the Berlin Wall, in many countries the communists won in the elections that followed, l...

• After the fall of the Berlin Wall, in many countries the communists won in the elections that followed, like in Germany. But when it came to sharing responsibility, they dithered.
The CPI(M) would do well to study their example (‘Times change, Left doesn’t: No, again’, IE, May 18). They do not want to take the responsibility of actively participating in nation-building because they are champions in accusing others when things go wrong. Their utterances of the last few days have shown that they have no sense of the responsibilities that come with membership of a ruling alliance.

— Ramesh Lahoti On e-mail

Marketing confusion

• The record meltdown on the stockmarket is not merely the result of the fear of a “leftist” shadow on the economy — it is also due to the “void” created by the new alliance (‘Is anybody there?’, IE, May 18).
It begs a few questions. First, it clearly indicates that the new alliance had never thought of broad plans/programmes and hence the markets are in the dark about the alliance’s policies and programmes. Why was a Common Minimum Programme not agreed upon before the alliance was declared?

— Bhashit Dholakia On e-mail

• The many statements made by politicians of all hues are creating confusion on India’s economic agenda. The victorious Congress Party must designate a spokesperson, so that the alliance’s views can be put forth in a coherent manner.

— R. Nagarajan On e-mail

New voter, old pol

Story continues below this ad

• This refers to Shekhar Gupta’s column ‘The results are in’ (IE, May 8). While Elections 2004 may be remembered for putting the voter at the centrestage and the media taking over the role of massive public rallies, yet political parties and their candidates have not shed old feudal mindsets and cheap electoral gimmicks.
A majority of the contestants tried to exploit caste and religion in one way or the other and seemed unscrupulously opportunist, often shifting their loyalties. Many of them had dubious antecedents. A more painful aspect of these elections was the extent of slanderous campaigns, brimming with allegations and counter-allegations. And ironically, while at the national level the NDA kept harping on its achievements of stability and economic progress, political parties and individuals at the regional level, instead of highlighting the past performance and future agenda, were more busy accusing and abusing their opponents.

— Ved Guliani Hisar

Lessons in defeat

• Kuldip Nayar’s analysis is nearest to facts (‘Defeat is a jigsaw puzzle’, IE, May 18). The BJP has a better intellectual pool, and debatably a more honest and disciplined culture. But the party would need to reconsider its dogmatic adherence to Hindutva and its newer versions of Bharatiyata and its detachment from rural India if it wants to remain in contention.

— K.A. Patil On e-mail

• If agriculture alone was able to sustain growth, then why do we have no example of that in the world today?

— Anil Kohli On e-mail