‘Blameless’ Sonia

In his article Wake-up call for the Congress (May 26), Pankaj Vohra has blamed everyone close to Sonia Gandhi for the recent debacles of the party but not her.

In his article Wake-up call for the Congress (May 26), Pankaj Vohra has blamed everyone close to Sonia Gandhi for the recent debacles of the party but not her. This argument sounds hollow, given the fact that the Congress, being a dynastic party, is ultimately governed by the first family of Indian politics. Sonia has to take at least part of the blame for the Congress’s poor showing.

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Sagar Raj
Delhi

States of anarchy

Apropos of Ramachandra Guha’s article A History of Abuse (May 27), do we have any tailor-made solution to the insurgencies and unrests? Either the country is too big to govern properly or these problems do not figure in the priority list of our lawmakers. I think negotiations with secessionist or revolutionary groups are meaningless. Only proper employment can be an effective solution for many of the problems. Also, a sincere effort with a dedicated plan and a dedicated group of lawmakers will pay dividends.

Sundeep Sinha via email

II

The attempt to draw parallels between Naxal violence and terrorism in Kashmir is preposterous. It cannot be denied that exploitation of resources and criminal neglect of tribal areas has led to the Maoist uprising. But in Kashmir, the separatists want secession from the Indian State. Hence they cannot be defended under any circumstances. Also, while citing cases of human rights violations in the state, Guha has chosen to ignore the ethnic cleansing of Pandits in the Valley. I wonder why?

Lalit Ambardar via email

Say no to the Gujjars

Apropos of the editorial The die is caste (May 26) the Gujjar agitation and Raj Thackeray’s anti-North Indian tirade is a threat to India’s secular fabric. If we succumb to the demands of the Gujjars, it’s going to trigger a wave of demands. The Centre should come down heavily on them and not give in to their demands.

J Framjee
Delhi