Derailing democracy

Pervez Musharraf has decided that the uniform is more important and has mounted a coup with the false promise of holding elections to the National Assembly soon. And the US finds itself exposed by supporting the dictator while paying lip service to democracy. The past is haunting Pakistan’s future and Bush’s march of folly has landed the US in dire straits. The truth is that dictators try to offer quick solutions that fail but democracy offers a difficult road to consensual nation-building. In fact, other countries have an army, but in Pakistan the army has a country.

Mohd Salahuddin, Mumbai

II

Whoever has ruled Pakistan during the last 60 years has done so solely for building personal empires and family fortunes. Martial law or Emergency, it does not matter because the Pakistanis have been enslaved by their own inability to create a political structure that can ensure the people basic freedoms.

Deepak Joshi, Mumbai

Spineless policy

Apropos of the editorial A no-policy policy (November 7), the advisory to central ministers restraining them from attending a function felicitating the Dalai Lama is despicable. The Dalai Lama is our guest, invited by Nehru following the invasion of Tibet by Chinese forces. That the advisory followed the visit of Sonia Gandhi to China proves beyond doubt that this government has become spineless. It has no right to continue in power if it cannot pursue the goals promised to the people.

OP Tandon, via e-mail

Narrow vision

Apropos of the editorial Federal reservations (November 7), Manmohan Singh’s remarks on federalism express his anguish over the attitude of the regional parties which are engrossed in narrow electoral politics. In the coalition era, there can be differences of opinion but no room for differences of purpose. It is time to act in unison to achieve the mission of nation-building.

SK Gupta, via e-mail