M A I L B A G

BJP should assert its supremacy

Mr L.K. Advani’s resignation as BJP President is surprising since no one from the party had asked for it. The demand came only from the VHP. The RSS’ stance that it would not ask him to withdraw the resignation shows that it is in agreement with the VHP.

It defies understanding why a national political party should be subservient to outfits, which claim to be only cultural. It also reveals the hypocrisy of those who have been criticising the Prime Minister as weak and being dictated by others. The BJP should assert its supremacy in order to regain credibility.

J.M. MANCHANDA, New Delhi

II

Mr Advani has said that he only quoted Mrs Sarojini Naidu and Mohd Ali Jinnah’s speech in the Pakistan Constituent Assembly on Aug 11, 1947. His actions and remarks should be seen in the correct context. He went to Pakistan as a part of Track II diplomacy in the ongoing Indo-Pak peace process.

Rulers of both countries have realised that the people in general and fundamentalists in particular have to be psychologically attuned and mentally prepared to accept the agreements reached without accusing them of sell out. It may be part of this larger design that Mr Advani praised Jinnah in Pakistan to shed his hawkish image.

Brig HARWANT SINGH (retd), Mohali

III

I fully endorse Mr Advani’s honest appreciation of Jinnah’s remarks on Aug 11, 1947. He has done well to criticise the futile and dangerous talk of ‘Akhand Bharat’ and keeping the Indo-Pak relationship in a state of unnecessary turmoil. The fundamentalist postures of the VHP and others strike at the root of our great liberal and tolerant philosophy of ‘live and let live’.

For the Congress and other so-called secular parties, secularism is just a ploy aimed at snatching the political advantage from the BJP for which they go out of the way to appease the Muslims. For instance, Mr Ram Vilas Paswan insisted on a Muslim Chief Minister in Bihar just to establish his secular credentials.

SHIV K. SHARMA, Jalandhar

IV

All talk of Mr Advani’s patriotism and his comparison with the real Sardar Patel of the Congress stands exposed now. How dangerous it would have been for us Indians if the BJP had come to power in 2004 elections and men like Mr Advani had occupied key positions in the government. The Congress has thus saved Indian
independence once again.

ANU CHATRATH, Chandigarh

Blaming Left for no reason In their articles about the Manmohan Singh government’s one-year performance, G. Parthasarathy (May 19) and Inder Malhotra (May 20) have blamed the Left for no reason. The Left has been consistently supporting the UPA government, sometimes even at the cost of the Common Minimum Programme. Never was there any problem of conducting foreign policy in a rational way in the face of the “Stalinist-oriented Communist parties” as alleged by Mr Parthasarathy. Similarly, at no time it was difficult for Dr Manmohan Singh to manage the Left as propounded by Mr Malhotra. The real trouble, as Mr Malhotra writes, comes from men like Lalu Prasad Yadav, Shibu Soren and Ram Vilas Paswan and not from the Left. AMAR JIT SINGH GORAYA, Griffith NSW, Australia

Eloquent tribute

The editorial “Essentially, a good man” (May 27) was an eloquent tribute to Sunil Dutt. I appreciate his secular outlook. Though he belonged to a traditionally conservative Brahmin family, he married the legendary Nargis. On the death of his wife, he read namaz at her burial.

He could play the role of a cowboy, king or jester with equal ease. He used to visit forward areas to boost the morale of our jawans. His padayatra from Mumbai to Amritsar symbolised his patriotic spirit. Let the nation salute this great hero.

B.M. SINGH, Amritsar

II

Every year I visit Mumbai to invite, on behalf of the Yaadgar-e-Rafi Society, a film personality for our Rafi Nite in Chandigarh. I met Sunil Dutt twice in 2000 and 2001. Though he was interested to grace our function (he had great respect for Rafi), he could not make it.

I very much admire his simplicity and respect for a common man like me. When I met him in 2001, I found that both I and Sunil Dutt were suffering from spondilytis. He told me to take care of my health first. Turning to my wife, who accompanied me to Mumbai, he said, “Bahu, please take care of him. Only if he is well, he can organise these nites.”

B.D. SHARMA, Chandigarh

III

Sunil Dutt was a perceptive, pragmatic, talented and seasoned film actor and politician. More important, he was a messenger of peace and ambassador of communal harmony. He was a crusader of national unity and integrity.

He was a philanthropist in the truest sense and a generous host. Whoever went to him did not return empty-handed. He used to help the needy in cash or kind.

O.P. KALYANA, Chandigarh