Letters to the editor

It is sad that of all people, Nehru, a reputed barrister and son of a reputed barrister, succumbed to the temptation of circumventing the judiciary and the judicial process. The result of his shortsighted intervention is here for everyone to see. The Ninth Schedule has become a laundry bag as rightly pointed out by one of the lawyers appearing in the case. It has been repeatedly misused for vote bank and power.

— Behram Aga; Mumbai

Labour as exploiter?

• APROPOS of J.P. Yadav’s article (‘And they all left Bihar’, IE, January 12), it is not sufficient to portray the plight of Bihar in each and every dimension of development. Here’s one thing that should be very clear: how can breadwinners and daily wages labourers who have migrated from the state of Bihar only for livelihood exploit the Assamese? Exploiters are mostly big entrepreneurs whether they belongs to Assam or elsewhere.

In a nutshell, the issues related to the recent gruesome killings of migrant labours in Assam can be only solved at a socio-political level, because it is not merely related to the ULFA and its activities. Certain other issues like that of proportional development must not be overlooked.

— Amit Chamaria, Delhi

Sonar Bangla?

• APROPOS of your editorial ‘Back from brink’ (IE, January 15), in a surcharged atmosphere of a swift and dangerous mobilisation of Islamic fundamentalism and a flagrantly partisan position taken by the President Iajuddin Ahmed, it remains highly doubtful whether Bangladesh can ensure peaceful, not to talk of democratic, elections. The shadow over the democratic electoral process has grown darker in the state of emergency proclaimed by the president. Till date democracy has not taken any roots in the country, and the army may find the present opportunity to realise its yearning to fill the political power vacuum. Now the onus of a civil and democratic set-up lies with the people and the opposition to struggle and preserve whatever fragile democracy they have.

— Ved Guliani, Hisar

Clarification

• THIS refers to the PTI news item carried by your paper on December 21, ‘Indian spared of death sentence by Saudi Court’. While I repudiate that news, I also want to inform you that the allegation that the Indian national was ordered to be beheaded is ridiculous and outrageous at the same time, as the punishment for a non-Muslim entering the holy cities of Mecca and Medina is not a death sentence. We are a civilised nation and will act in a very civilised way also by simply and gently requesting that non-Muslim person to move out of that particular area where he happened to be.

I would urge The Indian Express to ascertain facts before publishing such misleading reports and would also advise it to enquire from the ministry of external affairs, as the ministry and its embassy are usually the ones following and taking care of Indian citizens abroad.

— Saleh Mohd. Al-Ghamdi; Ambassador Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, New Delhi