• Your investigation into the post-Godhra incidents is an eye-opener. It makes it crystal clear just how our tradition of communal harmony has been soiled by politicians and bureaucrats. Surely you have personified the Journalism of Courage. Hats off to you. — Anwesha Banerjee Kolkata • Apropos of ‘Top cop said lines were jammed, records show just the opposite’ (IE, November 25), thank you for your accurate reports on how politicians and bureaucrats in Gujarat played blind while the state burned. Let us always spread the truth even if it speaks against us. — Bidyut K. Chatterjee Faridabad Recipe for doom • This refers to the Kanchi seer’s arrest. Fifty seven years after Independence, India has succeeded in acquiring the qualifications to remain a backward country, forever. India has become an ocean of adharma. The media thrives on sensationalism. The political class has become expert in dividing Indian society through strategies like reservation. There is unscrupulous abuse of the ideal of secularism. Secularists don’t want to acknowledge that India could declare itself a secular country only because of its Hindu majority. But secularism is not sustainable in India because the two major religions, viz Islam and Christianity, are pumping massive amounts of money through various institutions for conversions. — R. Narayanaswamy Chennai Act of faith • The arrest and detention of the Shankaracharya may have come as a rude shock to his devotees but it has certainly restored the faith of millions in the rule of the law. Considering the clout he had with presidents and prime ministers, many still find it unbelievable that he is behind bars in much the same way in which his devotees find it difficult to come to terms with his alleged crime. The people of this country also need to be praised for looking at the whole affair objectively and maintaining peace. — Chezhiyan Anandaraj Bangalore Let’s talk • Pratap Bhanu Mehta's ‘The future of an illusion’ (IE, November 24) takes on an interesting challenge on the issue of Hindu nationalism vs communalism. What would have been helpful would be to define Hindu nationalism vs Indian nationalism. If the concept was ever clear to an an average Indian of any caste or religion, BJP over the years has made sure through its alliances with the VHP, Bajrang Dal etc, that the difference is confused to an extent where Hindu nationalism is equated to communalism. A deeper dialogue and exploration would be useful. — Suvarna Apte Dalvie New York Leaders! • The problem of the BJP is less to do with its ideology of Hindutva and more with the emergence of a leadership that includes Pramod Mahajan, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Rajiv Rudy. Leaders became arrogant in power and distanced themselves from ideology. The RSS, too, surrendered to these people and even praised some of them. Perhaps, it was also enjoying the fruits of power. — Panchdeep Delhi
