Opinion Defending Moily

Apologise,atone

It is true that the Congress,having been targeted from all sides,is in a spin devising ways to delink Rajiv Gandhi’s responsibility for the clandestine escape of Warren Anderson from Indian soil (‘Nowhere to hide’,IE,June 15). Caught off-guard,each Congress leader is vainly trying to throw mud on this and that for causing the great political blunder.

It is an open secret that Arjun Singh had acted on the orders of the late prime minister in arranging the “fleeing” of the main culprit of the “world’s worst industrial disaster.” And now by shifting responsibility on Arjun Singh or blaming American pressure,or saying that “the law and order situation was bad and people’s frenzy was at a high” or attacking the judiciary,the Congress cannot escape the facts. It should tender an unqualified apology to the nation,especially the victims of the Bhopal tragedy.

It is also a matter of utter shame that a tragedy in which over 15000 innocent people died,has been equated with violations of ordinary traffic rules. More shameful is the fact that the culprits got just a two-year jail term,then let off scot-free immediately on bail of Rs 25,000 each. The Congress should now work to enhance the compensation to the victims to a respecta-ble level and also undertake the reconstruction of the affected area on priority basis. This may wash its sins to some extent.

—R.K. Kapoor Chandigarh

Racism at home

This refers to ‘More than fatheads’ (IE,June 14). We Indians have always had double standards. Our zealously-guarded and well nourished holy cows such as “our religion”,“our culture”,“our way of life” and sundry others are trotted out at one whiff of a perceived insult to any of them,while we merrily trample on the dignity and sensitivity of other cultures. While we lighten our own skins with fairness creams,we use people of a darker colour as clowns,cartoons and caricatures in some of our supposedly harmless and “creative” ad campaigns. A little introspection on the subject would do us no harm. We need to learn to laugh at ourselves,to take it in our stride,and be more graceful when a bit of fun is poked at us occasionally,while being more aware of what could cause real hurt to others.

— Shirin P. Antia

Ahmednagar