Opinion Mosque in New York

ON the Pakistan government’s reluctance to accept India’s help,Delhi-based daily Hamara Samaj,in a commentary on August 22,argued: “Pakistan was perhaps vacillating on accepting Indian help because… it would have to identify and provide to India the details of the places through which the relief goods would have to reach the victims. But India had kept in mind Pakistan’s anxiety and had said it was prepared to send the relief material through the UN agencies.”

M.J. Akbar,in his Rashtriya Sahara column (August 22) observes: “Is the fear of Asif Zardari (in accepting monetary help from India) connected with his fear of the Pakistani army? Sometimes a natural devastation of this magnitude takes the form of a historical moment. Some such conditions were also the cause of East Pakistan transforming into Bangladesh in 1971. The Bengalis there were fully convinced,following the devastation caused by a cyclone in 1970,that this region would always be a victim of injustice during the rule of a communal dictator like Yahya Khan. The information that is now being received clearly indicates that in the prevailing conditions,the sentiments of anger of Pakistanis against Zardari are almost of the same intensity as the Bengali citizens had against Khan…Pakistan’s army chief Ashfaq Kayani had activated the army without any delay for rescue and relief whereas Zardari… had given priority to a vacation and tour of France and England”.

Threat from Ayodhya

THE recently-reported statement of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat that “if the construction of the proposed Ram Mandir in Ayodhya cannot be possible through a consensus,it will be constructed by force” and “construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is not dependent on decisions of man-made courts as it is a matter of faith and bhakti” has created a stir. Rashtriya Sahara’s August 20 editorial states: “This irresponsible statement by a responsible leader like Mohan Bhagwat… gives the indication that the members of the Sangh treat Indian democracy as a joke,its courts as worthless and its Constitution as a contemptible piece of paper.” It adds: “Mohan Bhagwat’s statement gives the indication that the Sangh Parivar has reached the conclusion that the decision of the Allahabad high court (expected mid-September) can go in favour of Muslims.” Delhi-based daily Hindustan Express, contends: “Law needs proof which he (Bhagwat) doesn’t have at all. So he has been trying to make a dispute about a land title a matter of faith.”

Why Sholay was hot

THERE are many opinions as to why and how Sholay,released this month 35 years ago,became such a defining box-office hit. According to an editorial in the August 17 edition of Sahafat ,its release two months after the imposition of Emergency was an important reason for its success,with Gabbar becoming the most popular character. The paper says that in those days, “exploitation of government machinery was at its highest point… And an atmosphere was created in the film against two important arms of government — the police and jail”. Asrani as ‘Angrezon ke zamane ke jailor’ symbolised the incompetence of government machinery.”

Compiled by Seema Chishti