• This year marks the golden jubilee year of the Sino-Indian Panchsheel Accord, denoting the five principles of peaceful coexistence. In 1950 I was working in the Indian embassy, Peking (now called Beijing), when India was confronted with the question of the Tibetan debacle. I witnessed the prolonged negotiations between India and China on the Tibetan issue. Chinese Premier Zhou En Lai had assured India that they would settle the issue peacefully. But even as he said this, Chinese forces had invaded Tibet. No doubt, we were shocked but after a great deal of hesitation Pandit Nehru accepted Chinese sovereignty over Tibet but not their suzerainty. Later, on the April 29, ’54, the Chinese People Liberation Army, in violation of the Panchsheel accord, intruded into Indian territory at Barahoti, north of Badrinath. It was the beginning of the exchange of numerous letters between New Delhi and Beijing on the boundary issue, which ended in the ’62 war. In 1958, Congress leader Acharya Kriplani termed Panchsheel as “infamous” and said it was India’s obituary for Tibet. — Mahindar Singh New Delhi Taint charge • Apropos the editorial, ‘BJP’s tainted outrage’ (IE, July 2), the boycott of the budget session by the BJP due to stained ministers will be stupidity as it would allow the UPA government a free hand even in presenting absurd budget proposals. The Opposition must remain in Parliament to keep the government in proper check, otherwise criminals — supported by Communists — will ruin the country. — Atma Gandhi On e-mail • The editorial on BJP’s protest against tainted minister shows how every Congress Tom, Dick and Harry claims to be morally superior to others. When the NDA was in power, the media hid behind the secular-bush and was not concerned about the disruption wrought by the Congress/Communist mafia in Parliament. Today, Somnath Chaterjee & Co, with the active support of the media, have become “preachers” of morality and ethics. — Sundar C. Nanganallur Chennai • People's criticism of the politics of boycott of Parliament is quite justified. But quoting the cases of Bangaru Lakshman and Judeo to defend Laloo Yadav is ridiculous. This is not to approve of what Bangaru and Judeo did. But how can the prime minister defend people like Laloo Prasad Yadav, who has been charge-sheeted, jailed and is presently on bail? — M.C. Joshi Lucknow • Predictably, the badly mauled BJP will make an inconvenient Opposition for the UPA. Their threat to boycott the Railway budget is the start of well planned theatrics. As the BJP points its finger at Laloo, it glosses over the ‘honourable’ tainted in its own ranks: Advani, Laxman, Fernandes, and Judeo. — F.S.K. Barar On e-mail Atal’s inner voice • Apropos the editorial, ‘BJP’s moment of truth’ (IE, June 16), the preaching of the ‘Rajdharma’ two years ago, has finally been recognised as a missed political opportunity and neglected moral duty. One wonders why Atal Bihari Vajpayee did not look within during those two years and why his “inner voice” kept him from confessing to the nation that in Gujarat the BJP government has failed in its basic and moral duty of protecting the life and property of its citizens, particularly the minority community. — Ved Guliani Hisar
