Letter to the WEEK

A CPM leader recently argued that India shouldn8217;t proceed with the civilian nuclear initiative since Indian Muslims are against it.

A CPM leader recently argued that India shouldn8217;t proceed with the civilian nuclear initiative since Indian Muslims are against it. In a letter earlier this week 8220;Deal straight8221;, Shariq Alavi from Lucknow retorted that national issues don8217;t concern only Muslims. Besides, most Muslims are unaware of the implications of the nuclear deal.

8226; Your doubts as to whether Muslim voting intentions can be explained by the single issue of the nuclear deal are justified. The overwhelming majority of Muslims in India live in rural areas, and mostly in dire poverty. Naturally, they are unconcerned about international matters and India8217;s foreign or energy policies. It is best to not drag them into the controversy. As it is, the deal and the popular anxiety about American intervention in Indian affairs don8217;t concern only Muslims. These are national and not communal issues.

What a set-up

8226; Shekhar Gupta hits hard where it8217;s most needed in noting, 8220;You cannot appoint somebody your prime minister and then tell him, and the nation, that he is not a full prime minister8221;. But the UPA coalition arrangement was a flawed one to begin with, for more reasons than one.

The communists were targeting the prime minister even when he was finance minister under P.V. Narasimha Rao, for his reforms, and so when he became PM, they were determined to undermine him. Further, the Left8217;s idea of 8220;outside8221; support meant that their agenda would have to be implemented.

It was not the Left8217;s co-operation but dictation to the PM that was the Congress8217; undoing. That is how the nuclear deal fell victim to the machinations of the Left.

8212; Prasad Malladi

Basivireddypeta, Nidadavole

BJP8217;s chance

8226; One wonders why the BJP is not seizing a golden opportunity on the nuclear deal. With the imminent withdrawal of support by the Left, the BJP should back the deal. Unlike the Left, which was vehemently opposed to the deal, the BJP was indifferent. In fact it had in earlier times lent its shoulder to nuclear and defence initiatives, even while the Congress was in power. By propping up the deal now and putting the nation8217;s interests first, apart from giving itself the aura of a responsible national party, the BJP could pull the rug out from under the Samajwadi Party.

8212; R. Narayanan

Pune

Not cricket

8226; Mayawati has acted unwisely by communalising the Indo-US nuclear deal. It has been rightly seen as an attempt to woo the Muslim voters of Mulayam Singh Yadav, who intended to support Manmohan Singh on the issue of the nuclear deal. In fact, Mayawati8217;s parting of ways with the Congress and her opposition to the deal have their roots in Mulayam Singh8217;s newfound friendship with the latter.

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It would have been to her credit to base her opposition to the nuclear deal on the national interest. Instead, she decided to float the thesis of Muslim opposition.

8212; M.C. Joshi

Lucknow