One-man rule

With no immediate threat to overthrow it, the CPC can congratulate itself as the most successful communist party in history that single-mindedly converted a weak and poor China into a technologically advanced superpower. All of this has, however, come at a great cost to the Chinese people. The CPC has maintained its grip over power through a vast and intimidating organisation and at the cost of the individual liberties and rights of the people. It has arrogated to itself the position of China’s sole ruling party, and its leadership controls the government and all organs and instruments of the state. Its model can only appeal to a few authoritarian regimes and leaders in other countries. The idea that one man controls the party, the government and the military, and a small clique of men surrounding him, none of whom have been elected by the people, should be able to determine the daily lives and destinies of 1.4 billion people is so out of place in the 21st century.

N Sadhasiva Reddy, Bengaluru

False grandeur

Apropos of ‘100 years of CPC’, it isn’t a good intellectual exercise to create a halo of grandeur around the Communist Party of China (CPC). Its contribution is seldom noticed to promote peace and harmony along its borders. Changing the course only under adverse circumstances is its sole pattern to rule. The adoption of the single-child policy was an effective instance of this pattern. The global community is trying to underrate its own self-esteem by unnecessarily getting impressed by the presence of the CPC. It deserves congratulations only for completing a century of rule.

Kapil Sharma, Kaithal

Kejriwal’s shenanigans

Five years of political power against a promise of 300 units of free electricity power is not a bad bargain (‘Punjab reels under long unscheduled power cuts’). Kejriwal has declared in an interview that he would provide 300 units of free power to each consumer in Punjab if his party came to power in the state. I would like to ask: Does his political outfit, AAP, generate power from its own resources for free distribution? If not, then what would he have done in a situation like this in Punjab? The people should be wary of such shenanigans. It is akin to purchasing votes on the promise of freebies. Once in the saddle, they enjoy five years of political power with impunity.

Rup Verma, Jalandhar

Power agreements

The PSPCL is a victim of flawed power purchase agreements. The Congress had shouted from the rooftops before the elections to cancel the same once voted to power. What happened thereafter is there for all to see. All have been talking about the cancellation of agreements, but no one talks about fixing responsibility. The revenue lost should be recovered from them and refunded to the PSPCL. Why should consumers be penalised for agreements which have destabilised their domestic budget?

Ravinder Singh, Jalandhar

Plan & execute

In reference to ‘What other states can learn from Tamil Nadu’; it is a good move by CM Stalin to have on board the Economic Advisory Council the best brains like Raghuram Rajan and S Narayan. They can guide the state government to collect and manage revenue in a better way. The real challenge is to execute these plans and policies. He should also form a good field force for better execution.

Rajesh Goyal, by mail

Not guilty

Refer to the release of Assam MLA Akhil Gogoi by the NIA court after 19 months in prison over charges clamped under the UAPA for his alleged role in the anti-CAA protests; numerous are such cases where persons are acquitted after spending years in prison for suspected crimes. Should not some branch of prosecution be held accountable for such injury to the free life of citizens? It’s fashionable to state that no innocent man should be punished even if a guilty one escapes penalty, but in reality it is a different story.

Lalit Mohan Sharma, Dharamsala

Augment vaccination

Reference to ‘Focus on planning vaccine drives, not creating panic: Harsh Vardhan’; it is true that by panicking, our vaccination drive will only lose traction. It is imperative that all governments work in sync to accomplish the desired target of vaccination. The state governments cannot be held responsible for the dearth of vaccines. The drive can get fillip if the Centre procures 100% vaccination from the manufacturers. Moreover, door-to-door inoculation can accelerate the vaccination drive. Simultaneously, health infrastructure ought to be reinforced on priority.

Aanya Singhal, Noida

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