Congress meet
The Congress Party lost a golden opportunity to undertake a serious introspection that would have helped it get rid of many archaic practices irrelevant in modern political discourse. It is evident from the Congress Working Committee (CWC) deliberations that loyalty to the family continues to be the only way to grow in the party. Now, it is clear that the words and actions of Congress are not only harming the party, but also helping the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Perhaps, the refusal of Congress to reform itself may be due to its hope that the BJP will commit blunders and implode, which looks impossible in the near future.
Thumati Anuradha,
Hyderabad
The Congress, instead of reinventing itself after its second successive defeat in Lok Sabha elections, continues to hop from one crisis to another. The latest crisis that surfaced after a host of senior leaders wrote a letter to Sonia Gandhi seeking a change in leadership has led to the alliance parties raising doubts on Congress’s ability to take on the ruling BJP. Significantly, the development comes ahead of the crucial Assembly election in Bihar. It is the Gandhis, not the signatories of the letter, who have emerged bruised amid an orchestrated chorus of support for the former. The signatories of the letter have also added grist to the BJP’s propaganda mill about the Nehru-Gandhi family.
R. Sivakumar,
Chennai
Contempt case
I don’t understand why the Supreme Court is wasting its precious time on a contempt case, when we have a backlog of important cases waiting to be heard. This case is moving more into the territory of personal vendetta, rather than justice, for stating an opinion. What we need today is judicial reforms and accountability of judges. We should not forget that even the heads of courts are accountable for their deeds and the public has a right to voice its opinion when it feels something is wrong with the judiciary.
Anahatha D. Kalyani,
Palakkad, Kerala
Jimmy crosses 600
James Anderson, who became the first fast bowler to achieve the milestone of 600 Test wickets, has been an indispensable bowler for England for 17 years now. It is not just difficult but exceptional that he could maintain such high-level bowling skills, supreme fitness and the undiminished passion for the art over these years. He took a studied decision in 2015 to stop playing the shorter formats of the game and this enabled him to remain fresh and free from injuries so that he could continue to serve England in white flannels. In countries like England and Australia, even a marginal drop in form can force selectors to go for new faces. Amidst such intense competition, Anderson had carved a niche for himself. He is, even at 38, a force to reckon with and could take another 50 wickets. Apart from Stuart Broad, who is around 100 wickets behind him, it is unlikely that any fast bowler will emulate Anderson’s feat in the foreseeable future.
V. Lakshmanan,
Tirupur, Tamil Nadu
