ANOTHER excellent article from David Pratt (The India of Modi moves further from Gandhi’s vision as each day passes, February 28).

The UK Government may not exhibit the politics of hate to its full extent, but it is seeking to silence those with whom it disagrees. The recently announced government policy to ban BDS (the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign in support of human rights for Palestinians) is as stark an example as any.

So often during the past 40 years I’ve heard the cry from Zionists “If only the Palestinians had someone like Ghandi who would promote peaceful resistance, we could settle our differences and live in peace”. Alas, this is only one more Zionist lie. They don’t want peace. They want Palestine. And they want it without the Palestinians. For 50 years they’ve had the power to make peace, but instead frustrate it at every turn.

In supporting this Israeli colonialism the UK Government shows nothing but contempt for the basic human rights of the Palestinians. The UK governments for 75-plus years have been proclaiming support for a two-state solution, and still do so, despite it now being impossible. Greater Israel is the reality; and has been for 50 years. Israel’s control of the Golan, West Bank and Gaza will NEVER be relinquished. Israel wants the land – but not the people. Israel is a racist state. Israel is an apartheid regime. Once this is recognised and accepted by the UK Government it can become a genuine player in achieving a resolution.

This won’t happen by itself. Just as Ghandi was ignored, ridiculed, despised, attacked, now Omar Barghouti and his BDS campaign face similar experiences as the supporters of Zionism seek to quell all protest including such peaceful initiatives as BDS. As another great anti-apartheid icon of the 20th century said: “We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.”

David Myles
Glasgow

AS the British Government shows more and more signs of coming in line with the extreme right, scapegoating of all who don’t fit its false categories, it was refreshing to be reminded, by David Pratt in yesterday’s National, of the legacy of Ghandi’s non-violence and inclusiveness, and read Lorna Slater’s challenge to anti-immigration rhetoric (We need immigrants to bring youth, energy, skills, February 28).

Many of us are tempted just to despair at the signs of the fascist ideology that gripped Europe and other parts of the world in the 1930s and, like a virus, is so quickly spreading today. A recent small book On Tyranny:Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder, a professor of history at Yale, is a simple primer to encourage us all to challenge seductive lies in public life. Amongst other he quotes the courageous Czech dissident Vaclav Havel: “If the main pillar of the system is living a lie, then the main threat to it is living in truth.” Not a bad motto for those of us who want to see a new and different vision for our nation of Scotland.

Iain Whyte
North Queensferry

I COMMEND the Scottish Government for making bus travel free for young people. As a happy user of free travel for the other end of the age spectrum, I can testify the joy of jumping (well, not actually jumping anymore) on a bus and let somebody else do the driving. However, there is no credible public transport in my area, as is the case in many rural areas. In order to get to a bus stop, I must take the car. If I need to change buses, often there is no connection – integrated transport is non-existent.

There is a real gap in services – not just public transport – between rural and urban areas. If we want to lower our carbon footprint, we need to close the gap of “transport poverty”.

Trudy Duffy-Wigman
Crook of Devon

AS we look at Holyrood 2021 we should reflect on the previous one, ahead of which Professor Curtice pointed out that both votes for SNP would bring very few list MSPs. Estimates show that approximately 750,000 votes were not only wasted, but also gave us a thicket of colonialist MSPs! The system was devised to prevent one party, particularly the SNP, from getting an overall majority. Since we desire a big Yes majority, it makes sense in most areas to give the second vote to a Yes candidate when they are not competing for the constituency vote.

Further to this, it is unwise to try and punish the colonialists by putting them third, fourth and fifth. Votes can be transferred, so better to ignore them. That is how a Tory was elected in Easterhouse!

In terms of name, I wondered if SnP would reduce (for some) possible pejorative “nationalist” tags. But I liked Brian Cox’s suggestion of Scottish Independence Party. As “taking back control” could be a Yes theme, it could resonate with many people. We should not be ashamed to adopt slogans, where relevant, that have been shown to be successful.

Dr Kris Hansen
Edinburgh