Letters appear in the Daily Nebraskan at the editor's
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originality, coherence and interest. All letters must be
accompanied by the writer's true name, but may be
submitted for publication under a pen name or initials. Use
of such letters will be determined by the editor. Brevity is
encouraged. All letters are subject to condensation and
editing. Send letters to: Editor, Daily Nebraskan, 34
Nebraska Union.
Socialist Ghandi
Dear editor,
I would like to express my opinion and comments
concerning India's pol; situation, which has been
the target of sweeping remarks on the part of two
authors in the Daily Nebraskan (John Vihstadt, Sept.
26 and Chris Lyford, Oct. 4).
Vihstadt said that "India's Indira Ghandi may well
be the next leftist leader to go the way of Salvador
Allende." He seems to express the view that the
present economic crisis confronting India's populace
is the result of the Socialist measures adopted by the
Ghandi regime.
Lyford, on the other hand, provides a simple
panacea for India's ills by asserting that "the answer
to India's impoverished plight lies not in politics, but
in medicine and sociology. India's only hope for
reversing her present condition rests on effective birth
control."
I think that both authors have made serious error
in analyzing the political situation of India. This is
mainly because their knowledge of India is bookish in
origin and dogmatic in character. The books which
they have read about India were written by American
bourgeois scholars who, by virtue of being the
defenders and propagandists of the American
capitalistic-imperialistic system, are unable to make
an objective judgement of India's politics and her
society.
I am an Indian student and I have spent my entire
life in my country. I am, therefore, well aware of the
mechanics of India's socio-political machinery and its
counter balancing forces.
India's Indira Ghandi is definitely not a serious
socialist, like Salvador Allende. Her regime is not any
more socialistic than the previous regimes of Nehru
and Sastri, both of whose ruling congress party
sought to establish a socialistic pattern of society.
And yet, it is an indisputable fact that it was
during the regime of Nehru, that the gulf between the
rich and poor reached mountainous proportions.
Indira Ghandi is a centrist, who has raised the false
slogan of socialism, in order to strengthen her own
and her party's position among the electorate. Still,
she is aware that, unlike Allende's, her party has no
real solid base among the masses of India and that it
survives on the backing of the economically privileged
class of industrialists and big land-lords.
Allende was a serious Marxist who gave his life for
his cause. Indira Ghandi is an opportunist who holds
a fat bank account in Switzerland. She is a
reactionary, who in the 50's, was instrumental in
toppling the first legal, Marxist government in Kerala
province. She ruthlessly has oppressed the legal party
of Maoist Communists. In fact, her police murdered
the top leader of the Maoists while he was in jail.
India's economic ills can be cured only by politics
and not by sociology or medicine, as Lyford
suggested. Who can deny that politics is the
propelling force behind any sociological or medical
program? The reason why India's birth control
program has failed to check her population growth,
lies in the fact that it was not preceded by mass
education programs and that the bureaucrats, in
charge of implementing such a program, were more
interested in making a fortune for themselves, rather
than in helping the people in family planning.
India's economic crisis is becoming acute, day by
day. Her democratic political system is heading
towards eventual collapse, as has happened in the
Philippines and Chile. India is pregnant with a new
socio-political order. The force which can act as a
mid-wife, as Marx put it, can come from two
directions. On the one hand is the powerful armed
forces which, when they come, will shatter the
dreams of the masses and will throw India in the lap
of one of the super-powers. On the other hand, there
is the prospect of the Communist revolution which,
when it comes, will propel India on the road of
becoming a major world power as has China.
B.K. Nirmal
0 ,fmm I
THIS ISTUE- GRAIN THAT PICK SOLO.
THIS IS TM6 RANCHER WHORAISEP
THE CATTIS THAT USED To EAT
THE GRAIN THAT DICK SOLD.
THESE ARE THE CATTLE THAT USED TO
EAT THE GRAIN. THAT DICK SOUP.
THIS IS THE MARKET THAT BOUCHT
FROM THE RAUCHER WHO RAISED
THE CATTLE THAT USED ID EAT
THE GRAIN THAT PICK SOLD.
Column comments
Dear editor,
Chris Lyford's Guest opinion column on Chile
(Daily Nebraskan, Oct. 4) shows he has much to learn
about the importance of accuracy in journalism and
history. Lyford makes several serious factual errors.
The following are the more serious ones and the true
facts:
Lyford says, "One of Allende's most important
undertakings (was) his plan to achieve a more
equitable return from Chile's foreign-owned business
concerns." Lyford says this was blocked by the
legislature.
Comment: President Frci, Allende's predecessor,
negotiated agreements with copper companies which
greatly increased Chilean receipts from copper sales.
In return for official guarantees by the Chilean
government, the copper companies made large new
investments in the copper mines to increase
productive capacity. Allende abrogated these
agreements and confiscated the mines. No
compensation was made. This takeover was approved
by the Chilean legislature.
Lyford says, "(ITT) approached CIA officials with
a proposal to oust illegally the Marxist president."
Comment: ITT made no proposal to oust Allende.
Lyford obviously is thinking of the revelation that an
ITT representative had approached the CIA with a
proposal that efforts bo made to block Allende's
election by the Chilean congress. The election was
thrown into congress because no candidate had
received a majority of the popular vote.
Allenoe had received 36 per cent of the popular
vote, while his two opponents had received 64 per
cent. The tradition in Chile was for congress to elect
the candidate with a plurality, but that was not
obligatory. There was a question whether congress
should elect Allende because his proclaimed policies
certainly had not been mandated by a majority of
Chile's voters. ITT realized Allende would be bad for
private business, and they wanted to see a candidate
other than Allende elected. There was no question of
ousting Allende, since he had not been elected yet.
Lyford says, "President Nixon. ..received a huge
campaign contribution from ITT, almost $500,000."
Comment: Totally false. ITT had agreed to a
conditional pledge of up to $400,000 to underwrite
San Diego's pledge needed to get the 1972
Republican National Convention for that city. This
'BlBSS 05, O LOTO. AND TW6 "fWGlpr WHICH VUG AS ABOUT
ra ctcti ve m what 16 iter of axt social iftwmvcusck ...
converted into cash contributions.
Reed J. Irvine
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was legitimate since ITT had hotel interests in San
Diego, and it was expected that businesses that would
profit from the convention would help pledge the
financial guarantee that is customary in these cases.
Since the plan to hold the convention in San Diego
fell throuuh. the pledges by ITT and others were not
Yell squad
Dear editor,
I agree completely with the "few cheers" letter
which was printed in the Daily Nebraskan (Oct. 4).
After watching the energetic and skillful yell squad
from Wisconsin, our yell squad looked dead,
especially the men. If Nebraska is to have another No.
1 season, then yell squad members must do a No. 1
job in promoting spirit and pep.
I think part of the problem is that we need more
men to work with the women on the squad. I'm sure
there are more than three men who try out for the
cheering squad. So why aren't there more men on it?
I have heard much about the so-called unfair
procedures used in previous years in selecting the
men's squad, but I'm certain those in charge will
change this. After all, it's apparent that the current
squad is suffering from that mistake.
I'm convinced there had to be other men more
qualified for the positions than some of those now on
the squad. The judges need to look for honest pep
and enthusiasm instead of who the person is and if he
holds membership in a certain fraternity.
A Concerned Husker Fan
Editor's note: While one fraternity has dominated the
yell squad, it is not required that members belong to
any fraternity.
Editor's note...
Beginning Friday, the Daily Nebraskan will
no longer publish letters to the editor which are
longer than 500 words. The change is due to
the newsprint shortage and space oroblems.
Letters received after Friday will not be
published if they exceed tnat limit
Wednesday, October 10, 1973
daily nebraskan
page 5