Winter session
The BJP, now in power, may get a taste of what it did to the Congress while the former was in the Opposition. Given the lung and limb powers of our MPs, the respective strengths would make no difference to whether the Houses function smoothly or not. The session-eve display of Opposition unity gives an inkling of possible “recurrent disruptions”. It would be legitimate for the Opposition to highlight the government’s failure to fulfil its election promises and its pursuit of “anti-poor” economic policies. Except Narendra Modi’s “heroics and histrionics”, nothing tangible is brought on the table during the last six months to satisfy the people who voted the BJP to power. The hype surrounding initiatives such as Jan Dhan Yojana, Swachh Bharat, Make in India, dismantlement of Planning Commission, Digital India, smart cities and bullet trains has obviously made no material difference to the lives of the common people. For better or worse, some of these initiatives are yet to get off the ground. Self-congratulation and over-centralisation of power and decision-making are no substitute to “good governance”. Epithets such as “brilliant event manager” and “rock star” earned by Modi are not the herald of economic development. The Opposition is sure to taunt the government for not keeping its word to leave every citizen richer by R15 lakh retrieved from foreign tax havens. The BJP’s veiled warning “to understand the mood of the nation and the spirit of the mandate of the people and cooperate with the government” is unlikely to help the ruling party subdue the Opposition and carry the day. The reality is that domestic elites, India Inc and NRIs alone are still enamoured of the Modi government and the masses have begun to doubt its ability to transform their lives. The Opposition has the right to be critical of the government and it is futile to try to deprive it of the same, citing Modi’s manifestly “waning popularity”.
G David Milton, Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu
Ensuring safety in sports
It is sad to note that Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes died of injuries sustained during a cricket match. Hughes’s death was a freak accident in what’s known as the “gentleman’s game,” and came two days after he was struck just below his left ear by a speeding ball during a domestic match and collapsed face-first onto the ground. The 25-year-old left-handed opening batsman was rushed to the hospital and operated upon but succumbed to the injury Thursday morning, with his official cause of death being termed a “dissected vertebral artery.” The Australian team doctor revealed that he could find only 100 such fatalities in medical history, and only one other caused by a cricket ball. Just like other games, cricket is a great game. But, at the same time, the game of cricket sometimes brings forth risks since it involves bat and ball – which are somewhat hard materials. However, the crux of the matter is that cricket is always the cynosure of all eyes. Moreover, many young players across the world are craving for recognition. It is the responsibility of all the sports authorities to ensure the maximum safety measures for the players and the audience during the upcoming Cricket World Cup. The world of cricket will miss this young chap.
P Senthil Saravana Durai, Mumbai
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