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Need for consensus

Sir, — Apropos the Editorial, `Need for consensus' (April 10), I disagree with your view that in its bid to gain political mileage by appeasing organisations such as the Hindu Jagran Manch, the BJP-led Government at the Centre made the Archaeological Survey of India go beyond the recommendation of the Madhya Pradesh Government that Hindus be allowed to offer worship at the Bhojshala temple complex for two hours on Tuesdays with restriction on making offerings to the presiding deity.

You support the State Government's recommendation because Muslims have been allowed to perform `namaz' for two hours on Fridays at the Kamaal Moula mosque in the same complex. But you have overlooked the fact that while Muslims do not offer anything except prayers and there is a particular time fixed for them to offer their Friday `namaz', material offerings are an essential part of Hindu worship and they have no fixed time for worship.

Equating Hindus with Muslims on this issue is irrational. In Government offices, Muslim employees are permitted to leave office for offering `namaz' on Fridays while Hindu employees do not get such concessions on any day.

M.C. Joshi,

Lucknow

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