PRASHANT JHA
Prasant Jha's articles are good but he is relying more on rhetoric than on real analysis ('Post-identity politicis', #400). He wrote before the election that Madhesi parties would do badly because their disunity had infuriated Madhesis, but the result came out with MJF as the biggest party from the Tarai. He wrote that people in the Tarai thought of Ram Baran Yadav as the Pahadis' dalal, which is little more than mud-slinging at a Madhesi leader who is liberal and did not follow the radical path of Mahanta Thakur. In any case, Ram Baran won. Jha also failed to catch wind of Jwala Singh's loss of control of his outfit, despite the fact that Madhesi FM stations and newspapers have been reporting on the storm brewing around Singh for two weeks.
Prasant Jha should start reading Madhesi newspapers to understand the ground reality of the Tarai. A bigger danger than Islamic militancy here is caste-based groups from Bihar influencing the local population in the Madhes. The Ranvir Sena and the Saravana Liberation Front have declared that they will fight against the Maoists in the Tarai who they see as a party of Dalits. These groups should not be ignored as they have been involved in massacres in Bihar which would make Gaur look like child's play.
Raghuvir Singh Thakur,
Rautahat
I don't think Muslims in the Tarai will start communal violence because they know that with India as their neighbour they will have nowhere to hide if the majority Hindus go after them. I don't know why Prashant Jha is predicting a doomsday scenario ('Post-identity politics', #400). Muslims have a role in society and they will get it peacefully, not by threatening militancy.
Roshan,
email
CK LAL
All the points made by CK Lal in 'There be dragons' (#399) are true. Nepali politicians and all Nepalis should bear these in mind and work for the good of the nation rather than personal gain. Nepalis have been cheated for a long time and we will not stand for selfish intentions anymore.
DR Gurung,
email