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Inconclusive findings

Twenty-one years after 3000 Sikhs were massacred, we are told that some persons were "probably" involved. A great insight indeed! And now the debate centres not round how the accused should be brought to justice for their probable role in the mass murder, but round whether denying them the luxury of office is sufficient punishment.

Ramani P. Easwaran,
Bangalore

The victims' agony after 21 years of excruciating wait is understandable. With commissions of inquiry taking inordinate time to complete their investigation and worse not reaching any definitive conclusion — using terms such as "probably" — even after long years, one feels they are nothing but a waste of time and money.

R. Shafarunnisa,
Hyderabad

The Srikrishna Commission report indicted Bal Thackeray and the Shiv Sena for leading the attacks on Muslims in the Mumbai riots of 1993. Even the errant police officials charged with complicity, let alone Mr. Thackeray, remain unpunished. It will be no surprise then if the hullabaloo over the Nanavati findings dies down with those indicted going scot-free. It is this failure of the justice-delivery system that prompts the aggrieved to take the law into their hands.

S. Sultan Mohiddin,
Cuddapah, A.P.

It is not only in the 1984 riots, but in all the cases of rioting that justice has been denied because of lack of accountability and transparency. The people need to see the real enemy, who is not just a Tytler or a Narendra Modi. It is the system that protects them. All right-thinking people should come together and press for reforms that will ensure accountability.

Salman Kureishy,
Dubai, UAE

1984 and 2002 bring to light one truth — politicisation of the police. It should be corrected forthwith to avoid recurrence of such atrocities.

K.V. Prasada Rao,
Vijayawada, A.P.

The resignation of Mr. Tytler under intense pressure from all quarters clearly shows that the Congress is gradually coming to terms with coalition politics. It is a healthy sign for the stability of the fragile UPA Government. But the fact that a Minister submitted his resignation to the UPA chairperson and not to the Prime Minister undermines the latter's authority in the organisation.

Mukesh Kaushik,
New Delhi

Mr. Tytler's act was inappropriate. It sends wrong signals about the Prime Minister's standing in the party and the Government.

Vinoo Ramakrishnan,
Tomball, Texas

The Nanavati Commission has pointed fingers at Mr. Tytler, Dharamdas Shastri, and H.K.L. Bhagat for instigating the 1984 riots. But these leaders won on the Congress ticket from Delhi the same year. Sajjan Kumar represents the Outer Delhi constituency in the present Lok Sabha and Mr. Tytler Delhi Sadar. Why have the people of Delhi continued to vote for them through the years? The Congress, blamed by Sikhs for not giving them adequate protection, is in power in Punjab, besides the Centre. Is it true that the people get the Government they deserve?

Roshan Sridhar,
Connecticut

The Congress and the BJP are two sides of the same coin. That they continue to enjoy power shows India and its people are moving towards a state of apathy. We have chosen the same people to represent us time and again. So it is we the people who are to blame.

Siddharth Singh,
Noida, U.P.

Two national parties are guilty of two massacres in independent India. Ironically, both have never committed to repairing the damage they have done to the political and social fabric. They have either tried to escape or reap political advantage from the massacres. On both the occasions, by large-scale killings of a particular section of people, India's image was shattered internationally. Yet people like Jagdish Tytler and Narendra Modi can survive in the system.

Velavartipati Vachaspati,
Hyderabad

For the media, sensation alone seems to matter. That is why they report with gusto even the most gruesome incidents with vivid illustrations (in the name of right to know) without caring for the privacy of the affected. Where were the media all these 21 years and what did they do to help the families of the 3000 Sikhs? My humble request to them is please let the ordinary folks live in peace and amity. Let bygones be bygones. Let us keep the tombs shut, not open them.

C.P. Damodaran,
Thrissur, Kerala

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