dated August 28, 1951: Why Nehru should be supported

Dr. P. Subbaroyan wrote: ``Having held office under a Parliamentary system of government, Mr. D. P. Mishra ought to know that however powerful the leader of the party and Prime Minister be, he can never put himself up for a dictator under such a system. It is most unfair to say that our Prime Minister has been trying to be a dictator. My understanding of Mr. Nehru is that, in trying to be fair to his opponents he often seems to lack strength to carry through his policies, which has indeed been a matter of regret to all those who trust and honour his integrity. He has shown he is conscious that there are signs of impending disintegration in the Congress; he has been demanding unity in the party, and has been responsible for resolutions to that effect. But nothing seems to have come out of them, and we seem to be drifting as before. All his efforts are directed to impress the Congress that it should realise the need to close its ranks and not work in groups. I have been making a close study of the matter, and so far as I understand the situation, all that he wants is that a proper constitutional and democratic procedure should be followed. As Prime Minister, he is the leader of the people and, as long as he enjoys the confidence of Parliament, he should be allowed to carry on the administration as deems best for the good of the people. If the party organisation is to interfere with details of the administration by the Prime Minister and Government, that will not be democracy, but fascism by a small group. It seems as though people like Mr. D. P. Mishra want that kind of a set-up, and at the same time to use the Prime Minister's popularity for winning their elections. I trust that the members of the All-India Congress Committee and the public will see through this plan, and give their whole-hearted support to Mr. Nehru in his endeavour to follow the correct principles of democracy and work for the national welfare, international goodwill, and peace.'' Points from letters

The Hindu followed a practice of reproducing points from readers' letters when the latter could not be published in full. An extract: ``Mr. S. Sambasivan (Madras) asks the corporation authorities to eliminate the noxious odour which assails one in the sidewalk around the Law College, which is probably due to faulty drainage and is a danger to public health.''

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