British "India" was partitioned to become East and West Pakistan and India. Decisions on its configuration, following discussions with Gandhi and Nehru, were made by Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten and unelected Whitehall bureaucrats. They took no cognisance their lines on imperial maps would divide personal property, ethnic groups or casts.

These unfeeling, remote decisions resulted in uncounted unnecessary deaths, suffering, injuries and enmities, some which persist to the present.

While India is now lauded as the world's greatest democracy, the remote decisions emanating from the mother of parliaments, creating its partition was far from democratic.

Similar actions were responsible for much of the divisive unrest witnessed on today's African continent. Countries occupied by other European empires, fared little better, in fact some even worse, i.e. Belgian Congo.

When Council protests about democratic processes it seems somewhat farcical bearing in mind the manner that so much of its business is conducted in less than democratic fashion, i.e. employing devices such as "wide consultation", "commercial in confidence" and closed sessions, to reach decisions.

Minister for Local Government, Toole, seems in indecorous haste to implement proposed boundary changes, considering they may take years to implement.

Waiting for Council elections, a mere few months distant, would seem reasonable and equitable, as councillors, community repres-entatives, have no personal right to positions they hold.

Suggestions councillors submit "expressions of interest", would create precedents denying citizens their franchise rights.

Calling it "blackmail" is perhaps overkill, but it does pose questions, as to why the sudden urgency!

- Albert M. White, Queanbeyan

Blue bash

beyondblue is well-known in the community for helping people with depression and anxiety, and their families.

For the first time since beyondblue was established in 2000, we're asking the community to help us to continue to meet rising demand for our 24/7 Support Service by holding a beyondblue Bash to raise funds.

We've had people who have walked from Melbourne to Sydney, paddled a board along the coast from Brisbane to Sydney and run backwards in a marathon, but a beyondblue Bash can be easier and less physically demanding than any of those amazing endurance feats!

We're encouraging people to come up with their own original ideas.

The simplest are often the most successful.

You don't have to be able to bake, you could put a loose change jar in the office, make a gold coin donation to wear casual blue clothes to school or work, ask your friends to knit blue squares to be made into a rug to be raffled at a community event, mark the boundary lines or goal squares in blue to raise money at your sports club's beyondblue Bash.

You could even paint your front gate blue and keep a donation tin on the kitchen bench if visitors wish to donate.

The possibilities are endless - but the results of your fundraising could be life-saving.

Every year over a million people in Australia have depression; two million have anxiety. Every day around eight people die by suicide.

If you haven't been touched by depression, anxiety or suicide, it's likely you know someone who has ... someone at your club, at school, work, in your family or community.

And because depression or anxiety can affect anyone at any time, it may be you or a family member who needs our help in the future, and our Support Service will be there to assist.

Last year, contacts with the Support Service increased by 38 per cent. It costs an average $48 for one of beyondblue's mental health professionals to respond to a person in need.

We want to keep this free counselling service running. One call could save a life. One beyondblue Bash could save many.

To become a beyondblue Fundraising Legend go to www.beyondbluebash.org.au to register. Here you can see what other people are doing and get inspired.

On behalf of all the families in Australia who have been affected by depression and anxiety, or who have been bereaved by the suicide of a loved one, I offer my heartfelt thanks for the generous fundraising efforts of all our supporters across the country.

- Georgie Harman, beyondblue CEO