True, anonymity is established journalistic convention as TD points out (‘The Island’ of May 2), and I would agree that it can be justified on various grounds. But I hold, as many others would, that it is cowardly to attack someone without disclosing one’s own identity. A man must fight in the open, or not at all.

TD claims that I have not met his comments. I am perplexed. The only comment he made was about my need to relearn diplomatic finesse, and that I thought I showed in ample measure to be comic.

TD tries to meet my charge of racism by pointing out that his comments were directed both at me, a Muslim, and at Bandu de Silva, a Sinhalese. He is being disingenuous. Bandu did not write an article, as I did, and provoke I.P.C.Mendis’ nasty and insulting comments which were directed at me, not at Bandu. TD referred to those comments as "sharp tongued" with evident approval, while he pompously pontificated about my need to relearn diplomatic finesse because of my use of just two words and one name, "someone called I.P.C.Mendis". Such grotesque double standards certainly suggest racism. TD is a coward and a racist.