Needless death

It was with great pain that I read the tragic death of the 10-year-old Deepak Gurung ("Boy goes to school never to return home," September 9) of Mahendra Rastrya Secondary School. I ask all the Maoist cadres, under Dr Baburam Bhattarai, what are you going to achieve by killing innocent children?

I do not believe that violence or terror is the right way to achieve anything. A revolutionary leader who is earnestly dedicated to the task of revamping the country’s political system must not use terror tactics just to exact concessions. Since 1996, Nepal has been witnessing more violence against innocent people than against the establishment. I hope the rebels become "humane" and avoid violence. As yesterday’s incident showed, innocent children and women are going to be needless victims.

Kalpana Shrestha
Kathmandu, Nepal

Torn over religions

This refers to "Attacks in Bombay show India’s growing divide" by Malini Parthasarathy (September 4). The latest terrorist attack on Mumbai is an indication of imminent reprisals between Muslim and Hindu extremists. It was Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s heartless stoking of Hindu communal passions in the post-Godhra sectarian violence, where over a thousand people lost their lives and thousands were displaced, that worsened the situation.

The alienation of Muslim community has deepened in recent months by a high-voltage campaign to build a temple of Lord Ram on the site where the Babri mosque once stood. Immediately after the blasts, intelligence officials in Mumbai broke their silence and put the blame squarely on the Gujarat riots. The growing polarisation of India’s civil society over the past decade has been deeply disturbing.

Adil Hussain
Birjunj