“Yesterday Tunisia, today Egypt” ( Business Line , February 1) speaks of the powerful warning signal that has to be heeded in all seriousness by countries where democracy is unheard of. Like Egypt, there are other countries where ‘dictatorships' and other ‘autocratic' sort of regimes persist.

The person at the helm of government is the ‘supremo' and has usually enjoyed that status over two or three decades. Such tyrants take the people of their country for granted and follow the dictum that ‘fear is the key to success'.

Egypt is no exception and appears to be treading the same path of Tunisia. Today's youth, however, are a different cup of tea and one must realise that they cannot be taken for granted like their older generation who had no choice but to ‘grin and bear' the tyranny.

Democracy has its own merits and demerits, like communism. A harmonious blend of the two is what the next generation is desperately looking for.

Ashok Jayaram

Bangalore

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