These incidents are even more disconcerting given that we are at the threshold of a solution that will hopefully allow us to tide over the present political impasse. Further violence will do no good to anyone's cause.

While blockade has already taken its toll on the lives and livelihood of the majority of the people who are peace loving citizens, display of such violent acts add to the already burdened state of their minds. The resultant impact and ill effects on our economy as fallout of the blockade at the national level are enormous.

Therefore under no circumstances such means and methods of thrashing out differences between political parties can either be condoned or endorsed. Our political parties must realise that continuing with such violent acts is slowly and surely setting into the individual psyche also. This will have consequences not only in the political arena but also in the common man's life. It should be clearly understood by the political leaders that it is they who will have to deal with the future whether in the opposition or in the administration. And today's opposition may very well be the party in power tomorrow.

It is high time we began to place the nation's interests ahead of self and partisan interests. Let us shun all kinds of violence and resolve all issues through dialogues and discussions, which essentially sustain life in a democratic and civilised society.