Brothers, but for borders

This refers to 8216;Safe exit8217; by Rajeev Shukla. The dream of a good democratic government in Pakistan seems to be stillborn.

8226; This refers to 8216;Safe exit8217; by Rajeev Shukla. The dream of a good democratic government in Pakistan seems to be stillborn. Pakistan8217;s democracy has been fragile from the very beginning, and extremism will further increase tension between India and Pakistan. The ordinary people in both countries wish to live in harmony. If both the parties to the Pakistani dispute are sincerely determined to accept an amicable solution, there will be an atmosphere for consensus. If the Berlin wall could be pulled down, why can8217;t Indians and Pakistanis do away with the barbed-wire fence?

8212; Prem Nizar Hameed

Riyadh, K.S.A.

Engaging Nepal

8226; This refers to the editorial 8216;Prachanda problem8217;. Prachanda8217;s visit to Beijing was certainly not about the closing ceremony of the Olympics. His visit came in the wake of Nepal8217;s decision to remain 8220;equidistant8221; from New Delhi and Beijing. This can certainly undermine Indo-Nepalese relations, given Nepal8217;s historical proximity to India. India must not waste any more time, and engage Nepal in multifarious ways.

8212; Ashwani Sharma

Ghaziabad

Can8217;t go home again

8226; Bhikhu Parekh8217;s article 8216;Cracking India8217; was disappointing. Was it proper for a person, who has for long been thousands of miles away from his country of origin, to lecture us as to where we have gone wrong on secularism and Kashmir? As a Labour member of the House of Lords, he should have objectively analysed the then Labour government and its Viceroy Lord Mountbatten8217;s role in the J038;K mess. His verdict on the secularism of the two main political parties, as well as on Muslim alienation, is just as flawed. It is a section of well-off Indian Muslims, and not the 8220;underclass8221;, which is involved in terrorist acts for reasons other than economic.

8212; M. Ratan New Delhi

8226; I disagree with some of Bhikhu Parekh8217;s observations. He tells us of Nehru8217;s secular model; but what Nehru put into practice has been the root of cause of the current malaise in India. After Partition, it is amazing that Nehru still believed that he could win over those desiring to go. Despite Parekh8217;s analysis, I am surprised that he would still prefer the Congress8217;s pseudo-secularism to the BJP8217;s no secularism. I think Parekh should be practical and come and live in India, preferably in the Valley, and then rethink his views.

8212; Kedarnath R. Aiyar

Mumbai

Insult after injury

8226; The new notion of letting Kashmir join Pakistan or become an independent state is an unfortunate and wholly deplorable outcome of the crisis in J038;K. This idea has most recently been championed by Arundhati Roy, rightly criticised for her seditious statements and misuse of her freedom of speech. The proponents of such outrageous ideas should first tell each and every family that has lost a loved one who died fighting to preserve our borders that they laid down their lives for nothing.

8212; Karan Thakur

New Delhi

Letter of the Week Award

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