Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Baloch unrest

The unrest in Balochistan, following Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti's killing, has the potential to destabilise Pakistan. Pervez Musharraf should realise the futility of the exclusivist policy followed by the earlier rulers vis-à-vis Balochistan. Suppression by brute force will only strengthen the separatist elements in the province. Such a situation does not augur well for either Pakistan or India.

Nirbhay Kumar Sharma,
New Delhi

* * *

Guns and bombs have become essential commodities and terrorism has become part and parcel of life in Pakistan. The situation is alarming. Pakistan must do everything to eliminate terrorism instead of just pretending to do so.

R.S. Shanmuganathan,
Sriharikota, A.P.

* * *

Although Bugti's death is regrettable, he cannot be called a leader who fought for the rights of the people of Balochistan. He ruled over his people with an iron hand.

Like all warlords, he thought he was invincible. Some people have compared his killing to the execution of Bhutto, whose death, surprisingly, did not result in rioting by his supporters, as has happened in the case of Bugti.

Shakir Lakhani,
Karachi

* * *

I strongly believe India should avoid making provocative comments on the Balochistan issue. Just as India wants the Kashmir issue to be resolved amicably, it should allow a peaceful resolution to emerge on Balochistan. Inflammatory comments at this juncture will weaken the peace process.

U. Ahalyan,
Bangalore

* * *

Every government has convenient euphemisms to describe a mass movement against it. The situation in Balochistan is a ready example of this truth. A dialogue by actor Chandra Mohan in the Hindi film Shaheed (a Dilip Kumar starrer of 1948) comes to mind: "When a revolution against it fails the government calls it insurgency and when insurgence succeeds, it admits that it was a revolution."

The British called India's First War of Independence the Sepoy Mutiny. A government would call the brutal beating up of an unarmed crowd `over-reaction by the security forces.'

K.S.S. Sarma,
Kurnool, A.P.

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