Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Farewell to arms

The observation that India can learn from the courageous experiment in Nepal where the Maoists and the Seven-Party Alliance have signed an agreement to settle contentious issues (editorial "Nepal shows the way," Nov. 10) is significant. When the people are dissatisfied with the ruling elite, they vent their frustration in many ways. The state tries to suppress them, and some sections adopt aggressive means of protests. They are denounced as terrorists. If the state addresses the people's problems as soon as they start brewing, the word `terrorism' may well be erased from nations' dictionaries.

V.S. Samuel,
Haridwar

Though belatedly, the Maoists have understood that armed struggle is not always the best way to achieve the welfare of the masses. Comrade Prachanda has demonstrated that true communists are those who believe in the common good of the people.

It is time for the naxalites in India to pay attention to this development. If they are interested in the welfare of the tribals and other marginalised sections, they must give up arms. While it may be true that corruption is rampant and needs to be eliminated, the bullet is not the only way to do it. If the Maoists enter the political mainstream they are sure to get support, particularly from students. But they must give up mass killing and bid farewell to arms.

Durga Prasad Dash,
Ganjam, Orissa

The historic agreement between the political parties and the Maoists in Nepal should serve as a source of inspiration to the rest of the world. True to the words of Mahatma Gandhi "we win justice quickest by rendering justice to the other party."

Umayorubhagom Ahalyan,
Bangalore

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