Attack on pilgrims of Assam: Letters to The EDITOR

Attack on pilgrims of Assam

We come across news from time to time about attacks on Assam's labourers working in Arunachal Pradesh or on some people travelling in cars. The latest attack is on the pilgrims of Assam who were proceeding to Poroxuram Kunda. Without any provocation or any exchange of words, some Arunachali goons broke the glasses of the ASTC bus the people were travelling in. Three pilgrims sustained injury as a result of pelting of stones by the miscreants, that apart, the miscreants manhandled the driver, the conductor and some passengers. In Assam, we have not heard of such incidents, of course instances of forcible extortion of money in Bihu or Durga Puja are rampant in Assam. Whatever might be the case, no people coming from outside the state should be subjected to any sort of persecution. Arunachali people indulging in such attacks should not do so and police of Arunachal Pradesh should immediately come to the rescue of such passengers.

A good number of Arunachali people are always visiting Assam for treatment or some other business. Also myriad of students are studying in Assam. Perhaps none of them can lodge a complaint of any act of harassment meted out to them. There should not be any bad blood among the people between the two neighbouring states.

Ashok Bordoloi,

Dibrugarh.

Indian political parties turn secular from pseudoseculars

Till five years back, it was a fashion with most political parties except a few where politicians used to shy away from Hindu temples or doing Hindu rituals for making a grip on minority-votes with majority-votes divided. It was simply an appeasing policy of pseudo-secularism.

But now going to Hindu temples, adopting Hindu rituals and calling themselves traditional Hindus has become a political fashion amongst political leaders of most political parties in fear of majority-votes polarising with the ruling party at the Centre. It is indeed a positive advantage in last five years that the country as a whole has turned really secular from pseudo-secular in earlier regimes.

Madhu Agrawal,

Dariba, Chandni Chowk,

Delhi-110006.