Why blame the PM?

Sir, - Several articles have blamed the Prime Minister and his team for the performance at the Agra summit and complimented the public relations performance of the General from Pakistan. In this context, the following points need answers: Peaceniks, led by Ms. Nirmala Deshpande, cried hoarse, after their conducted tour of Pakistan, that the General was yearning for peace and that he and the Prime Minister meet and discuss. These peaceniks have no comments now to offer. When the Opposition leaders met the Prime Minister before the summit, they should have known that there was no structured agenda. Now that the summit has resulted in a stalemate, the main Opposition party, makes the usual noise. Had the summit succeeded in producing a joint statement or declaration, what would they have said?

N.Krishnan,

Chennai

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Sir - Indo-Pakistani relationship has to be based on the fact that Kashmir is an integral part of a secular, multi-religious, multi-racial, multi- lingual democracy and that it cannot be bartered away for a questionable peace with a theocratic Pakistan. Once this is accepted and democracy re-established in Pakistan, we can move forward towards a more meaningful dialogue, even at the people's level, as pleaded by Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer (July 24), and could look forward to working for the formation of a confederation of South Asian countries. With the European Union a reality, this is not a utopian ideal but something that could be achieved.

Dr. Jacob George,

Changanacherry, Kerala

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