Seeds of hatred

Reference to BJP MP Vinay Katiyar’s statement, ‘Muslims have no business to be here’ (February 8); it reflects the mindset of the party toward the minority community. Partition was a result of the atmosphere of mistrust, disharmony, violence created by the utterances, actions and policies pursued by the leaders of that time. Those willing, migrated to Pakistan, others stayed back. Those who opted to stay in India can’t be held responsible for the role which their community leaders played in dividing India. The party which plays the Hindutva card to win elections and gain power is using the same card to retain it and keep communities polarised. The concept of Hindu rashtra is a real threat to the secular fabric of the country.  Mixing religion and politics started in pre-Independence time and is a dangerous trend indulged in by power-hungry politicians and need to be checked by all right-thinking people in the media — print, social and electronic — to create awareness about the consequences of dividing people and sowing the seeds of hatred to gain and retain power.

Arun Jandial, Jammu

Katiyar at it again! 

How dare BJP MP Vinay Katiyar decide that Muslims have no business to be in India and should settle in Pakistan or Bangladesh! Tomorrow, he will say Sikhs and Christians should not be here. Who does he think he is? One is reminded of a sher by Urdu shaaiyar Rahat Indore — Kirayedar (read BJP) hain kisi ka zayati makaan (read Parliament) thodi hai, sabhi ka khoon hai shaamil is mitti mein; Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Isaayi,/ Hindustan kisi ke baap ka thodi hai. It is incorigible likes of Katyar, whose contribution to nation finishes before zero, and who are hell bent on dividing our nation. What saddens more is that, rather than shutting up such loose cannons, the one who matters has chosen to continue with unchecked verbosity in parliament and remain perpetually in self-congratulationory mode.

MAJ GEN SPS NARANG, Dehradun

Rafale deal 

Apropos the editorial ‘Secrecy for Rafale’ (February 8), the Congress has alleged that the Modi government scrapped the 2005 Rafale deal signed during the UPA regime for the purchage of 126 jets and inked a fresh pact in 2015 to purchase 36 jets at a much higher rate to benefit a private company with no experience in aerospace. The government’s refusal to disclose the purchase price of the aircraft gives rise to serious doubts that there was complete non-transparency in the Rafale deal, in violation of the mandatory provision of the defence procurement procedure. The IAF Chief was fielded to certify that there was no overpricing, although price negotiations are not done by the IAF. The Modi government has raked up the Bofors arms deal after 12 years only to defend the suspicious Rafale deal.

SS Paul, Nadia 

Patience running out 

By berating the Congress for all the ills afflicting our country, and that too after occupying the prime office for four years, Modi cannot absolve himself of  his own failure in handling the core concerns (‘PM: All wrongs Cong doing’, February 8). From the common man’s viewpoint, things are as bad as they were before Modi’s rise. People had pinned high hopes on him. He was looked upon as a wizard with a magic wand, who would purge the nation of all evils and usher in a utopian era of peace and prosperity. But Modi proved no better than his predecessors. His misplaced priorities have dashed hopes. Issues pertaining to uemployment, corruption, social unrest and crime, especially against women, have only turned murkier. Paying no heed to the common man’s disgruntled voices, he keeps drawing consolations by passing the buck. He must act as vociferously as he orates, otherwise the Indian voter, whose favour he is taking for granted, may not grant him another term.    

Deepak Kaushik, Kurukshetra

Give some credit too 

Apropos ‘PM: All wrongs Cong doing’ (February 8, it it is not expected of the PM to give a distorted and fallacious picture about the performance of the Congress party. If the Congress can be accused of dismembering the country, at least, it should also be given the credit for attaining freedom for the country. If Gandhi wanted the Congress to be abolished, the masses of the country gave its mandate in favour of the Congress again and again. A few words of appreciation for massive mandate should also be uttered. Rather than attributing all the ills of the country to the Nehruvian era, a thought should also be spared why Nehru was the undisputed leader of the country. The family is able to dominate the party over the years because it has scripted success stories again and again. If the Congress is to be blamed for the Kashmir problem, it should all also be credited for inflicting devastating defeat on the enemy in  various wars. The Congress built this country from scratch, and if India ranks among the most powerful countries, it is the result of the progressive policies pursued by the Congress. Rome was not built in a day. The plus points of the Congress far outweigh its negatives. 

Roshan lal Goel, Ladwa

Farmers’ protests

The Indian farmers, like many other sections of society, remain distressed and unheeded despite recurring agitations. But their grievances will remain unaddressed by the ‘rulers’ until they win  public support and sympathy for their cause, and that will not happen if they continue with their disruptive road/rail blockades that inconvenience the common man who is not responsible for their ordeal. They must resort to some novel ways of protest. Also, as long as their organisations remain segregated because of their affiliations to different political parties with diverse interests/agendas, they should not hope to become a force to reckon with. Most importantly, they must not falter at the time of elections and avoid falling in the politician’s vote-bank trap. 

HL Sharma, Amritsar

An old lesson 

The middle ‘My lesson from Padmaavat’ (February 8) certainly proclaims  a  revelatory and relevant lesson for all, which was slurred due to the massive protest against the movie. Certainly, it is the dignity of a woman, where she prefers to die than live as a slave of her  enemy. Padmaavat is not only Khilji’s betrayal and brutality or Ratan Singh’s bravery, but also the guru’s betrayal of his king and his evil intentions, which lead Khilji to this war for possessing Rani Padmavati.

Pragya Kaushik, Hisar

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