Oh-so-secular

8226; The Varanasi blasts have thrown a challenge squarely to 8216;secular8217; parties like UP...

8226; The Varanasi blasts have thrown a challenge squarely to 8216;secular8217; parties like UPA and SP, exposing their aggressive, blatantly pro-minority stances. The Congress can revive itself by invoking its 8220;enlightened national interest8221; formula once again, abandoning its barely concealed communal policies. Your dragging the BJP into this scenario 8216;Chariots of ire8217;, IE, March 10 is not only ill-timed but unnecessary. If 8216;secular8217; parties so openly go for minority votes, why should the BJP not cash in on majority sentiments? Such double standards by our English language media and so-called secularists are doing real harm to the secular fabric and not the actions of Sangh Parivar, as is projected, wrongly, by the media.

8212; G.S. Kulkarni Delhi

One blind spot

8226; I am shocked to see the inability of secularists to consider Varanasi blasts in isolation. Regrettably, the news of blasts was largely received with a sense of deep concern about the possible majority backlash and potential revival of Hindutva in Uttar Pradesh. So much so that the concern that the death of 20 people actually deserved was lost. In the process, a basic thing is forgotten: that such responses only make things easier for the communal actors. It is important to perceive the merit in BJP8217;s argument, so that we can better judge what is right for the nation.

8212; Gaurav Dua Delhi

Riding out failure

8226; Your editorial, 8216;Chariots of ire ?8217; IE, March 10, on the BJP rath yatra, is an apt appraisal of 8216;competitive minority-ism8217; read pseudo-secularism, in which you have also rightly pointed out the failure on the BJP part to 8220;exorcise the ghosts of Gujarat 20028221;. What led to their electoral debacle in May 2004, was this failure, together with what can be called 8216;complacent majority-ism8217; in their smug slogan, 8216;India shining8217;. L.K. Advani8217;s 1990 rath yatra was a great success, but the BJP has since been tested and found wanting on many counts. The electorate is unlikely to buy similar gimmicks again, unless the party introspects and resolves not to repeat its mistakes.

8212; A.N. Mitra Delhi

Spare us your wrath

8226; A seasoned politician like Advani should take time to think about his proposed rath yatra 8216;Chariots of ire?8217;, IE, March 10. As the leader of the opposition he should ask himself if, at this juncture, he should mount his hobby horse again. Ever since his first rath yatra in 1989, have we had any better inter-community brotherhood? The question of how to deter terrorism without stooping to the terrorists8217; level has perplexed the Advani-led BJP ever since. His yatras have ended up mixing religion with politics, to the nation8217;s detriment.

8212; Bidyut K. Chatterjee Faridabad

Idyll not shattered

8226; The article, 8216;Varanasi is us8217; IE, March 9, by Pamela Philipose was brilliant. The holiest city of the Hindus has been a microcosm of Indian spirituality, encompassing the entire wide range of Hindu rites, rituals and beliefs. Every day is a festival, and every festival is special here. In spite of this, it has been a shelter to a sizable Muslim population, and has always epitomised communal harmony and peaceful co-existence. Rarely has this peace been ruffled, not even during times of turbulence and strife in neighbouring areas. It seems, terrorists have succeeded in their design to shatter this heavenly idyll. Politicians will see this as an opportunity to play to their vote banks, but we the citizens have to see through them.

8212; S. Chattopadhyay Mumbai