Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Soft rhetoric

It is perhaps the nature of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to use soft rhetoric to condemn violence. Statements such as "violence will not be tolerated" and "the doors are open for a dialogue with ULFA" will just not do in dealing with an outfit that wants an independent State and will not allow migrant labour to live in peace in Assam. Dr. Singh should not mince words. There should be no question of a dialogue with a separatist, anti-national outfit.

Col. C.V. Venugopalan (retd.),
Palakkad

The spectacle of citizens pleading with the Government to act is surprising. Has not the Government already swung into action? There are visits by Ministers to the affected areas and grant of ex-gratia to the victims. Statements such as "tough measures will be taken against the perpetrators," and "people must return to their homes" have been made. The media are full of pictures of people boarding trains, interviews of unfortunate survivors, and 24-hour coverage of their grief. There are appeals to ULFA to come to the negotiating table. In between the scenes of the drama, the army is used as a stage prop. It is sufficiently demoralised by spineless policies against terrorism to exit fairly early. The essence and sequence of the play remain unaltered regardless of the protagonist.

T.N. Nambhi,
Chennai

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