'Forward class'

Sir, - Heaven-sent manna may be stale on the second day but not our politicians' cliches which it has been our lot to stomach over the years since Independence. ``Misreported'', ``taken out of context,'' ``blown out of proportion,'' are some examples. It may be good politics for the moment to say that as alliance partners they are one with the government in its policy but to claim a right to express antithetical and jarring views - so done even by astute, experienced and mature persons - can and will only betray what is back in their minds covered by a fig leaf of verbal sophistry.

All are equal, everyone's rights should be respected, all are equal citizens, none relegated to second or nth class are words sweet to hear but they cannot apply only more to Tamils living across the sea than to the same linguistic people living nearer home on the same soil. Some hearts bleed for the Tamils in Sri Lanka but such profession is not matched by action in the case of a section of the population in Tamil Nadu, especially the ``forward class'', who are being denied and sought to be denied almost every basic right to a greater degree every passing day.

To justify or support the LTTE, an inhuman and terrorist outfit whatever the provocation, when there are people much worse off, will tantamount to supporting terrorism. Will these politicians support autonomy for the ``forward class?''

K. Ranga Raghavan,

Chennai

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