Polluted Perspectives

Polluted Perspectives Romesh Thapar I AM not going to write about the killing of the unfortunate Mhatre in Birmingham by some politicised hoodlums or the sudden decision of the Government of India to hang the terrorist and convicted murderer, Maqbool Butt, without permitting any relation to meet him, or the Congress(I) charge that Chief Minister Abdullah was connected with the killing in Britain or the extraordinary lack of concern and ability in our High Commission in London or the disgraceful manner in which our politicians try to make political capital out of these happenings. What can one expect of a Foreign Office headed by a bunch of warring Secretaries, one of whom has been given the priority task of supervising the clean-up of the kitchens of a local club! Under the present dispensation of power and patronage, we are helpless in more ways than one. The killings in Punjab, even as a belated but crucial meeting to settle problems convenes, have at las: brought home to us the horrendous mismanagement of a whole State. Willy nilly, we have been placed at the merry of killers talking the most incredible piffle in he name of religion.