Short Takes

Let's Heave a Sigh of Relief

Dr. Mohammad Manzoor Alam says now that some political stability has been ensured, the UPA must begin to address questions in public mind about the N-deal.

Now that the UPA government has won the trust vote in Parliament, we must heave a sigh of relief as the period of uncertainty is over. With political stability firmly assured, we can hope that general elections will follow in their due course.

The country has been saved from anarchy, a condition in which communal and criminal forces thrive. We have to keep in mind that whatever stability we see today is because of the august Constitution, rather than the political class.

The less than desirable conduct of some of our politicians has left a bad taste in the mouth. Reports of horse trading were rife throughout the last few days. Some people claimed that they had knowledge of money changing hands.

The line-up of jailed MPs brought to Parliament for voting on a crucial issue was, to say the least, disgusting. These people had been sent to jail for serious offences. That too reflected badly on the moral quality of our representatives and the dignity of our Parliament itself.

Thanks to BJP the lively debate in Parliament sometimes fell to the level of mere communal posturing. The party's (and NDA's) prime ministerial candidate, L.K. Advani, delivered a speech that was blatantly anti-Muslim and communal. His colleague V.K. Malhotra, too, followed the same line. It turned out that these people were not concerned about nuclear issues but were guided by out and out communal prejudice.

All said and done, the country is likely to be politically stable for a while, and the NDA has to wait in the wilderness till general elections come round. However, questions regarding the deal still haunt the public mind. The UPA should now try to address those questions and allay peoples fears.  g

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