Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Sorabjee is right

Sir, — This refers to our Attorney-General, Soli Sorabjee's enunciation of global obligations of India, with reference to the Gujarat violence (May 14). Every rule of international law is obviously a restriction upon the actual independence of the state. Now, every state is a party to numerous multilateral treaties which impose upon it a wide variety of restrictions.

Half-a-century ago, a state was free to treat its own citizen as it pleased, and the community at large refrained from interfering. Even in those times, the persecution of the minorities shocked the hardened conscience of the leading powers. Today, the United Nations has recognised in its charter the necessity to promote universal respect for the observance of ``human rights and fundamental freedoms''.

Mr. Sorabjee's justification of the global concern over the carnage is based on grounds of humanity. The method of suppression of the minorities resorted to in Gujarat has touched the conscience of countries across the world and they have spontaneously responded to the higher appeal of a common humanity

H. Syed Mathani,

Tiruchi

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