This refers to the report “Important reforms coming in 6 months: Kaushik Basu” (April 23). Basu’s statement is timely; however, the real reform that needs to be brought in is the one in our electoral system. The nation’s progress on most fronts, be it economic (tax reforms), national security (the setting up of the National Counter-Terror Centre) or strategic foreign policy (the vote against Sri Lanka in the United Nations Human Rights Council), is suffering precisely because of the fractured political verdict that our electoral system yields. This, in turn, gives the government the ready excuse of “coalition dharma” whenever it is questioned on its inability to take bold decisions. We cannot expect major and effective reforms in any sphere until we usher in electoral reforms because, in India, political interests have always overpowered and sidelined larger national interests.
Sagar Soni Gandhinagar
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