To the 'True Indian'

Thank you for publishing the Idler written by a 'True Indian’.The views expressed by this person are not a case in isolation. Most educated Indians carry similar views about us. I was in New Delhi when the historic Babri Mosque was razed to (he ground at the instigation of Sangh Parivarwhose illustrious leader MrL K Advani led the operation from the front.

During my stay I could take a privileged look at New Delhi's society but I did not find any Indian Hindu that I interacted with to have condemned (he act. Many of (hem felt satisfied that Hindutva was emerging as the bonding force. I could see how an enlightened society was sliding to become a fundamentalists' society carrying disdain lor the Muslims and nurturing acrimony towards those neighbours that did not want to hitch (heir carl with the Indian bandwagon.

Often, while talking to me. these enlightened Indians voiced their regret for 'creating' Bangladesh. Many even failed to exercise restraint when they were (old (hat India only helped Bangladeshi freedom lighters io hasten (heir victory against (he Pakistani occupation forces and that too not without enormous gains like plundering materials worth several thousand crores of (aka from a battle torn Bangladesh.

A broad majority ol Indians confided to me that (hey have found a vast market lor their qualitatively interior products, in Bangladesh. Although Indians wear a holier than thou facade while negotiating trade deals with us. (hey actually do not like us to be equal partners and many ol them would opt to domi nale out economy. Succinctly, they want to eat their cake and have it loo.

this Infamous "true India' should he cautioned not pell stones

at others while being in the glass palace himself. He thinks we are poor. Has he noi seen millions of rural Indians that are even barely clad?The proportion of the population living below the marginal level of nutrition is favourable towards Bangladeshis when compared with Indians.

if we take a stock of Indian promises made to us it will reveal they detracted most often, at times blatantly. We believe in peaceful coexistence with all countries and without malice or ulterior motive. It is with this end in view that we pursue a policy of friendship with al) the neighbours. If (his is taken asour weakness, then let i( be known to all Indians that (his time our brave BDR jawans have shown a glimpse of our intention and we shall not fail to repeal our bravado to dispel any aggressive design in future as well.

Ummey Khan

Gulshan

Identify cuplrits

I think we can lake ii as axiomatic that no Bangladeshis, whatever (heir political or religious convictions, would sloop on (heir own initiative to commit so heinous a crime as to explode a bomb at a Pahela Bahishak festival. So who are (he culprits? The obvious first suspects have to be the Pakistani and Indian intelligence agencies (ISI and RAW) that are reputed to have been behind bomb blasts in each other's countries. Is it possible that these agencies have decided to export this horrible praci ice lo our shoi vs?

I here may be a way to find out. Ii seems that each and every bomb possesses a distinct "signature" which enables one to identify its perpetrators Accordingly all the Bangladesh government has to do is to hire some foreign forensic experts who are aware of the characteristics ol the RAW and ISI bomb makers and try to analyse (he data available in Bangladesh As (here havc.a been

a series of bombs in Bangladesh, forming pari of a co-ordinated campaign, there should be enough of a body of data to enable us to know with some degree of certainty who has dared to soil our country in this fashion, and to deal with it appropriately.

Rafiqullah Bhuiyan Magh Bazar. Dhaka.

A devastating bomb explosion turned the Pahela Baishakh function at Ramna Batamul into a carnage. This inhuman incident snatched away 10 valuable lives. It is a matter of extreme regret and sorrow. Failure to find out the culprits who were behind this heartrending incident is another shocking story for the nation. We are busy in expressing deep shock But. mere lip-service is not enough. We should come forward unitedly to resist these satanic forces.

LiaqoatAli

AB Hall, JU

A Question

Is there anybody to please make me understand what is meant by saying "the 30 percent equity each and 10 per cent carried over interest" in the last PSC (Production Sharing con-tracI) for block I published on April II?

Mohammad I orekanAlom Dhaka

Appointment of ECs

I ve read your valuable comments and counsel on ihe appointment ol two I lection Commissioners. I partly agree with you. On the other hand, I'd like to ask why should the ruling party consult the oppositions? Is the opposition a real side with whom the ruling party should hold a formal discussion on the above subject? Who are (he real

opposition? Why don't they act responsibly?

The opposition has lost credibility to hold talks either with the ruling party or with the Honorable President who has appointed the two ECs. It's a great shame that the opposition members use official benefits yet make peoples' lives harder day by day. I firmly believe that politics’ has become 'poly-tricks' for the opposition in Bangladesh.

Gopal Sengupta

Montreal, Canada

Inertia

I wish to point out that being an old reader of your esteemed daily. I am saddened to notice that of late I he Daily Star has gone down in giving news. I had to go to other English dailies to get (he news especially with regard to the recent border conflict with India. I here are always a lot of spelling and typographical errors. Sitting back on your laurels, a re you?

M. Ahmad

Uttaia. Dhaka

Neutrality of ETV

I do not watch B l V news because ol its partiality towards the government and presentation of false and fabricated information. I started watching FIX' news considering it as neutral. But unfortunately, ihe closer we are gening to the elections. the more it is getting away from neutrality. Now it hardly dem-onsti ales ihe opinion ol the opposition but clearly explains the allegations marie by the government against the opposition. ! he channel has not stopped telecast of the I nglish news ol Bl V, the government mouthpiece enriched with false information.

I he channel also airs programmes which try to establish Awami

League as a pro-independent force. But how can we consider a political party as pro-independent, when they are nurturing corruption, protecting killers and rapists, rewarding smugglers, bank defaulter and hijackers?

The ETV authority should realise that if they do not change their pro-Awami League attitude, people will reject the channel as they have rejected BIX'.

Dr. Mahboob Hossain

The UniversityofAsia Pacific. Dhaka

Opposition's tactics

I object vehemently to the irresponsible and callous utterances by the I eader ol the Opposition. Khaleda Zia. What is she trying to do by calling repeated strikes to oust tin constitutionally elected government of Awami league? I las she succeeded in removing the Awami I vague by her March 30th deadline? Does she remember that she held a mockery of an election in February of (he year she was bruited out u! power when killersol Bangabandhu were allowed to contest the pills?

I he Prime Minister had decided to relinquish power in April but the irresponsible utterances ol the I eader of ihe Opposition have hurt Awami l eague's pride and angered ihe lop Awami League brass. Now there is no way she can stop ihe Awami I eague f rom completing its electoral mandate. What doo du intend lo do now? Icam up with Islamic fundamentalists and sell-proclaimed assassins and propagate thecamage in learning centers mosques and the streets ol Dhaka l hittagong. Khulna. Batisal and other metro areas? Promote medieval barbarism ol the Dark Ages inside mosques? I urn Bangladesh into an Afghanistan or a Bosnia?

lavad

USA