Union cowardice

This refers to your editorial 'The Tawang test8217;. You have rightly observed that China8217;s attitude has been very provocative.

8226;This refers to your editorial 8216;The Tawang test8217;. You have rightly observed that China8217;s attitude has been very provocative. The Chinese designs on Arunachal Pradesh should be addressed through diplomatic channels. But the manner in which the government reportedly curbed anti-China demonstrations in the state spoke volumes about the harm such actions do. Such restrictions also violate the fundamental rights of the people of Arunachal Pradesh, especially since Arunachal is an integral part of India. No other democracy would have curbed peaceful demonstrations by its own citizens against a foreign power bent on grabbing a part of its territory. Tawang8217;s case may be an acid test for the Union government, and it must assert itself before China.

8212; S.K. Gupta

Delhi

Bury it

8226;In today8217;s globalised world, India and China should bury their border disputes and the Tibet issue 8216;The Tawang test8217;. These problems are so old that a stray comment from an ambassador or a minister cannot have a major impact on bilateral relations. Words are too little to change history; and these disputes relate to various historical agreements signed and reneged on. Instead, both India and China should give priority to their economies and concentrate on trade and commerce.

8212; Naval Langa

Ahmedabad

Left is never right

8226; A leopard never changes its spots, and the Left8217;s tendency to back the Chinese to the hilt has been thoroughly exposed with its unfortunate and unacceptable comparison of Kashmir with Tibet. Protesting against the human rights record of the Chinese is a legitimate issue and needs to be addressed by all emocratically inclined countries and peoples. India has always been open to the charge of human rights abuse in Kashmir, as opposed to the Chinese in Tibet and elsewhere. The Indian Left has been in the ideological doldrums for a long time now. Thus, it still utters the old communist rhetoric but does exactly the opposite in the states they rule. Likewise, their views on international affairs are warped. In any case, India doesn8217;t need any more Chinese spokespersons on its soil.

8212; Karan Thakur

New Delhi

Freedom song

8226;The people of Nepal should be offered our heartfelt praise for transforming their country from an autocracy to a genuinely democratic republic. These days, when citizens are responsible for taking important decisions, directly or indirectly, the idea and existence of a monarchy is ridiculous. One hopes now that a democratic Nepal will become a stronger and prosperous nation, a responsible neighbour and, above all, a close ally. The Indian initiative on Nepal also deserves praise for helping the Nepalese to snatch freedom from the clutches of a dictatorial monarch.

8212; Saad Ullah Khan Aligarh