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Letters

A Video Show
It refers to video shown prominently on all TV news-channels about air-passengers in a Pakistani flight forcing two politicians down from the plane for their being late thus causing harm to normal travellers on that flight.
Such a video should be an eye-opener for those in Indian legislative system whose lust for much more than already available to them in plenty including extra privileges in flights and at airports never ends. Union government should ensure that those in political system do not get any extra privilege in flights or at airports except for a very few like Prime Minister, Governors and Chief Ministers, and not for others including ministers.
But it is also a path shown to Indian people to be followed to treat arrogant politicians in the similar way they also deserve. It may be recalled that an RTI response following a CIC-verdict confirmed that the then Union Civil Aviation Minister misused his post by deploying larger aircrafts at Bangalore-Male-Bangalore route only because shorter aircrafts at that route with insignificant business had one seat less in business-class for minister's relations having gone on a pleasure trip (including return journey) on that route.
Subhash Chandra Agrawal,
New Delhi

Inadequate verdict
Supreme Court verdict giving authority to Prime Minister and Chief Ministers for selecting ministers by their wisdom on basis of their criminal records leaves chances of tainted ones holding ministerial charge.

With persons like Madhu Koda having reached to the top post of Chief Minister in present political system, larger national and public interest demanded that Supreme Court would have fixed proper guidelines for persons to be appointed as ministers.
Subhash Chandra Agrawal,
New Delhi

"Unity & Struggle"
As regards the editorial "Unity & Struggle, [Frontier, August 24-30, 2014] as far as reference to the protest demonstration at US Consulate building by the left parties is concerned, I feel that the editor would have also done well to note that Hamas terrorism with the avowed object of wiping out Israel from the map of the world, firing rockets indiscriminately targeting civilians in Israel, digging tunnels, misusing the aid given by UN agencies and other countries to mainly conduct suicide and other terrorist attacks in Israel, and using civilians as shields in the confrontation with Israel, using hospitals, schools etc. in Gaza as launching pads and storing godowns for their rockets targeting Israel, etc. is also a matter of serious concern, and a main cause for escalation of the confrontation—which now fortunately ended in an Egypt-brokered Cease Fire, where all Palestinian factions were expressly asked to desist from any rocket attacks on and attacks on civilians in Israel, apart from asking Israel to desist from all attacks on Gaza. The editor would have also done well to seriously condemn the attacks on and brutal killings including gory beheadings of Shiite Muslims, Kurds, and Christians and all 'enemies of Islam' as per the fanatic Sunni Islamic tenets of the most hideous terrorist outfit, now an Islamic Caliphate government, of the ISIS in Syria and Iraq too. Compared to the atrocities by ISIS on rival Muslims and other religionists, the Israeli attacks on Gaza perhaps pale into insignificance.
I Mallikarjuna Sharma,
Hyderabad

Jinnah's 'secularism'
Founder of Pakistan Mohammed Ali Jinnah in his speech at country's constituent-assembly had assured minority-Hindus in Pakistan to enjoy an exemplary living in Islamic Pakistan. But those ideals washed away with death of Jinnah where population of minority-Hindus in Pakistan is regularly declining sharply to the extent that after forcible conversion of Hindu girls to Islam, now a Hindu family has been compelled to 'voluntarily' adopt Islam after realising practical realities. While there used be at least one minister from minority-communities in the federal cabinet, now there is none since last so many years.

Shockingly while Christian-minority which in population is just about half of Pakistan's Hindu population has two public-holidays apart from two local holidays, Hindu-minority does not have even one public-holiday. Significantly for Christians, Pakistan government has unusual gesture in providing both 'Christmas Day' and 'Day after Christmas' as Public Holidays and both 'Good Friday' and 'Easter Day' as Local Holidays. Pakistan government should declare some important Hindu religious days also as Public Holidays.

Providing public holidays to religious minorities is also an aspect concerning human rights especially when Hindu-minorities in Pakistan are treated differently with Christian-minorities in Pakistan in respect of religious holidays thereby attracting attention of United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and other global organisations.
Madhu Agrawal, New Delhi

Frontier
Vol. 47, No. 17, Nov 2 - 8, 2014