Letters to the Editor

Lessons for the Congress

The Congress, with its poor show in all the three NE States of Meghalaya, Tripura and galand, has only proved its ibility to change its style of working. It makes a huge noise about the BJP being a commul political party but does nothing to counter the saffron party effectively. If the BJP had been commul, it would not have won as many as 12 seats in Christian-majority galand. How does the Congress explain its stand that the Amit Shah-led party has a commul agenda? There was a huge controversy a few months back on the issue of beef-eating. But it has had little impact in galand. This State has voted for the BJP overwhelmingly, perhaps much to the surprise of the party itself.

The Congress has not learnt its lessons well. This is the basic reason, I believe, why the party has failed to grow as a modern, youth-friendly party. There are no indications that Rahul Gandhi is now a mature politician. He was given the crown of party chief with much fanfare. His supporters, who are dedicated Dysty loyalists, had said at that time that with his arrival the party would emerge as a strong contender to the BJP brand of politics. But this is not happening. Rahul is busier in Modi-bashing than in meaningful politics. This must change if the party wants to survive. Or else its days are numbered. And this will be a huge tragedy for the country's oldest political party.

Ratul Borpujari,

Beltola, Guwahati-28.

Plight of Left

Something is very wrong with the Left in India. After its humiliating exit from Tripura despite there being such an honest Left leader as Manik Sarkar, it now wields power only in Kerala. Its downfall started with Mamta Bannerjee ousting the Left bastion in West Bengal. Though it was expected in West Bengal due to the Left's misdeeds, mainly street hooliganism of its activists, one thought that the communist front would be able to revive itself. But it has not happened yet.

The two top leaders of the CPM, Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury, live in a different world. It is a world of their own belief systems which have gone outdated. They have failed to appreciate the needs of modern India, mainly its huge youth population. There is no sign even today that they are prepared for some change, at least to survive. They can look up to Chi where communist ethos have been replaced by capitalist aspirations. When will they grow?

Now that Tripura has been lost, it is a life-and-death issue for the Left in India. It has to do some hard thinking why it could not retain this State despite the clean image of its Chief Minister and his genuine concern for the aam aadmi. Is there some need for some drastic change in its ideology or should the party change its style of working at the grassroots level?

Niranjan Roy,

Tezpur.