To Mr Thackeray

8226; There are reports that the Pakistan Cricket Board may extend an invitation to Shiv Sena su...

8226; There are reports that the Pakistan Cricket Board may extend an invitation to Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray to watch a cricket match in Pakistan. Although a Shiv Sena spokesman has ruled out the possibility of Thackeray visiting Pakistan to see India play on Pakistani soil 8212; as Thackeray has been opposing India-Pakistan cricket matches for over a decade now 8212; we Pakistanis assure the Shiv Sena and its leader that if he decides to come, he will be received with open arms by the people of Pakistan. If Bal Thackeray visits Pakistan to witness the match, it will help both countries in easing bilateral tensions. So do come, Balasaheb Thackeray.

8212; M. Rafique Zakaria On e-mail

Bill bluster

8226; Apropos of your editorial 8216;Hers not to inherit8217; March 9, there is no reason to praise the Congress president for issuing a directive to her party8217;s Jammu and Kashmir unit to review its support to the bill.
It is a PDP-Congress alliance government in Jammu and Kashmir, with the deputy chief minister belonging to the Congress party. The notorious bill must have been cleared by the state cabinet before its introduction in the state assembly and Congress MLAs must have supported it in the state assembly when the bill was passed in just six minutes. Who, then, is the party now trying to fool by asking its state unit to 8220;review8221; its support to the bill? Nobody needs to be told that it is just a damage control measure. The compelling reasons behind the swift move are obviously the strong reaction against the bill and its possible adverse effect on the party8217;s electoral prospects.

8212; M.C. Joshi On e-mail

No justice

8226; This refers to the report 8216;Gujarat riots a blot on NDA, says Advani8217; IE, March 8. There is still no sign of justice for innocent victims of these riots. The Gujarat government must move more efficiently to prosecute those involved in these inhuman killings.

8212; Khanna Shree On e-mail

A different cast

8226; It is preposterous on the part of T.N. Gopalan to suggest that Sri Lankan Tamils8217; internal struggle is divided on caste lines 8216;Karuna revolt may have a wider impact on Lanka8217;, IE, March 9. It is quite the opposite. The LTTE8217;s policy is that neither caste nor religion should play any role in Eelam politics.

8212; T. Sivathasan On e-mail

8226; Although the caste system prevails among Sri Lanka8217;s Tamil and Sinhala populations, you need to look at what has been happening in Sri Lankan politics for the past five decades on both the Tamil and Sinhala sides. The political parties and factions on the basis of language and only language were and still are the norm. The current trend may be due to the protracted civil war and the forthcoming general election where everyone is trying to find a niche. Since no other socio-economic conditions support this practice these days in Sri Lanka, such a political trend may not prevail for long.
For example, at the present time both the east and north are suffering economically in more or less the same magnitude and time will tell if such a division being sought along regional lines is tenable.

8212; K. Thirukumaran On e-mail