Striking fear
It is indeed unfortunate to find an atmosphere of fear being generated following a conclave of fanatics in Haridwar that has fanned the flames of hatred and violence. Until or unless there is strong political will power to arrest this menace, the force of law too will turn out to be an ‘exercise in formality and futility’. The silence of those at the helm of affairs of the nation creates the perception of their nod to go ahead with these sinister designs. Is this the way to celebrate the 75th year of the nation’s Independence? Is this the India “where the mind is without fear and the head is held high”, that Rabindranath Tagore dreamt of?
P.K. Sharma,
Barnala, Punjab
The alarming call for genocide against the minorities speaks volumes about what we may become as a society. Have we normalised hate speech against the minorities? There have also been the incidents in Punjab. Two different States and different crimes. The only thing common is that both States are going to the polls soon and no political party wants to offend any community. Hence the blind eye to blatant hate.
Tanya Dhillon,
Asalpur, Hoshiarpur, Punjab
The inflammatory and objectionable speeches bear some resemblance to ‘Hate Week’ in George Orwell’s 1984. The Thought Police and Big Brother are working to render their tacit support to make the celebration of the Indian edition of Hate Week fruitful. Of late, the politics of hatred has triumphed over the politics of decent ideology and noble reason.
Satyanarayan Padhee,
Bargarh, Odisha
The silence of the Prime Minister and that of the BJP leadership is intriguing. Any majority-minority community divide will do incalculable and untold harm to the very idea of India. Elections will come and go. A display of resolute statesmanship is the need of the hour.
C.G. Kuriakose,
Malippara, Kothamangalam, Kerala
Not a week passes without newspapers reporting at least one case of hate speech or targeted harassment of the minorities. What makes it worse is the apparent ‘normalisation’ of such incidents.
India’s secular character is being torn to shreds by communal elements of different hues. Any more soft-pedalling in the face of deliberate efforts to disrupt communal harmony in India could lead to a conflagration which could cost the country and its people dearly.
G.G. Menon,
Tripunithura, Kerala
To my knowledge, such hate speeches and open calls for genocide are a first for Haridwar, in peace-loving Uttarakhand. As a Muslim from Haridwar, I have never felt so unsafe, helpless and alienated as I do today. At this critical juncture, I would urge my fellow citizens to help Indian Muslims to restore their faith in brotherhood and communal harmony. They should come out to raise their voice against such hate mongers.
Abdur Rauf Qasmi,
Haridwar, Uttarakhand
Off the field
Well played, Harbhajan Singh! He played cricket with fierce determination, grit and commitment. One wishes him success in his future endeavours.
Balasubramaniam Pavani,
Secunderabad
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