Birth pangs

Sir — The decision taken by the European Union and the United States of America to recognize Kosovo as an independent nation-state against Serbia’s wishes comes as a surprise (“Kosovo cuts loose from Serbia: Russia in rage”, Feb 18). For the past 60 years, Kosovo’s non-Albanian residents have suffered terribly at the hands of Albanian extremists. News of killings, ethnic unrest and the demolition of Serbian orthodox churches and monasteries have made international headlines. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the self-styled peacekeeper in Serbia, has done little to prevent the atrocities.

Kosovo is not yet ready for independence. In the past, the former republic of Yugoslavia had attempted to defeat the Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army, but its efforts were dubbed as ‘genocidal’. This, however, is not true. Considering that the goal of the proponents of “Greater Albania” is to create a Kosovo devoid of non-Albanians, I would argue that Serbs, and not Albanians, have suffered a genocide. The US and the EU are primarily interested in maintaining military bases such as Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo. Hence their support for Kosovo in a move that would irreversibly damage their relations with Russia. Unfortunately, their support for Kosovo would encourage separatist movements the world over as it demonstrates that terrorists can alter the borders of sovereign nations with the help of force. India, plagued by separatist movements and Islamic extremism, should be deeply concerned about these developments and desist from recognizing an independent Kosovo.

Yours faithfully,
Michael Pravica,Henderson, Nevada

Sir — Ethnic Albanians had been massacred by Serbs during the Nineties. Radovan Karadzic, Serbia’s Hitler, who was the man behind the pogrom, has not yet been caught. Another Serbian mass murderer, Slobodan Milosevic, managed to cheat the hangman by dying in prison. The US and the EU have been judicious in lending support to the demands of ethnic Albanians. India should follow suit and not toe the Russian line as it shamefully did when the erstwhile Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan.

Yours faithfully,
J.K. Dutt, Calcutta

Sir — It is not clear whether India can afford to support Kosovo’s independence (“Delhi plays safe on Kosovo”, Feb 20). But one only hopes that our country will not go the Balkan way and give birth to ‘Kosovos’ itself.

India’s ‘unity in diversity’ is just a pipe dream. Sixty years after Independence, India is yet to gain the confidence of Kashmiris. The situation in the Northeast is no different, with secessionist forces continuing to fight the State to carve out independent territories. Instead of acknowledging the unique culture of the Northeast, a plural, democratic India has forced northeasterners to become a part of the mainland. A circular issued by the Delhi Police last year providing guidelines to students from the Northeast about their attire, best exemplifies the insular attitude of the authorities.

That is not all. The government has also discriminated against regional languages. For instance, in the name of popularizing the “national” language, the Centre has gone all out to kill Bengali. The computerized tickets issued from railways stations in the state as well as reservation charts displayed on platforms in Howrah and Sealdah are written in Hindi and English, never in Bengali. Central government employees in Bengal are not only forced to learn Hindi, they are even ordered to perform official work (even sign documents) in Hindi. If this is not an example of linguistic discrimination, I don’t know what is. If India wants to survive as a nation, it should take a lesson from the Kosovo episode and see to it that each and every linguistic and religious group is free to follow its own cultural traits. The State should also desist from imposing any one language or religion on citizens. Unity needs to be attained by recognizing diversity, not by killing it.

Yours faithfully,
Kajal Chatterjee, Sodepur

Parting shot

Sir — I am a Bengali from Siliguri. I have visited Darjeeling countless times and feel as much at home in the Mall as on Hill Cart Road. I am deeply concerned about the present crisis in Darjeeling and the Bengal government’s failure to solve the problem. If corrective measures are not taken, we may see a bigger and bloodier sequel to the Gorkhaland agitation. Only this time, it would be played out even in the plains. Moreover, if the crisis is not defused, ties between Nepalis and Bengalis are bound to show signs of strain sooner than later. I hope that better sense prevails soon and things turn to normal at the earliest.

Yours faithfully,
Rony Patra, Siliguri