Inner-party democracy
It is only fair to say that political parties in India do not adhere to true inner-party democracy (OpEd page July 20). Most of them are under the ironclad grip and control of ‘supreme leaders’ who have made themselves indispensable and unquestionable. To change this it is a must that lawmakers become accountable and answerable to the voters who elected them. It is time that the candidates of parties are selected by their local leadership instead of being ‘imposed’ from above, as is in vogue now. The allegiance and loyalty of the rank and file should always be to the party. There should be no place for personal loyalties. Every leader must be assessed based on his integrity and rectitude and commitment to the party’s programmes and policies. Admittedly, all these are a dream but many Indians badly want them to be practised here to make our democracy dynamic and meaningful.
C.G. Kuriakose,
Malippara, Kothamangalam, Kerala
Frisking at NEET
The incident at a National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) centre, in Kollam, Kerala, where some female students were ‘asked’ to remove their innerwear is abhorrent and violative of human dignity. It should be kept in mind that even ultra high security installations routinely operate ‘clean methods’ of frisking and security checks.
This incident should result in an investigation into the methods of frisking during competitive examinations.
Aswin Jayakumar,
Thiruvananthapuram
