I am glad Narendra Modi was denied a visa to the US; it is exactly due to our love of politicians like him that India is still a Third World country (Clothes Maketh a Man, Oct 3). Muslims are an integral part of India and our history. All the talk of Muslims being repatriated to Pakistan is nothing but the small-mindedness of a few Indians. There are about 20 million Hindus who were born outside of India, in South America, the Caribbean, South Africa, Fiji, etc; how about we repatriate them to India? Take them away from the only home they have ever known? Modi will have to explain himself at some point, he does not have a chance in hell of becoming the prime minister.
Vikram Rao, New York City
The anti-Sikh riots had the tacit approval of well nigh the entire Hindu community, not just “the Congress workers”. In fact, in the ’84 elections in Gujarat, the Congress returned to power with 128 seats, its biggest victory, bigger than the bjp post-2002 riots. This shows that the people of Gujarat have always had a communal attitude towards minorities. I have seen with my own eyes Sikhs in Mumbai and Gujarat being beaten up and lynched in public, with the police just watching. We had Sikhs hiding in Muslim localities or dressing up as Muslims to save ourselves from fanatical Hindu mobs. It’s up to the majority Hindu community to cure this lurking sickness within itself—we certainly don’t want to turn into a Hindu version of Pakistan.
Anita, Delhi
I don’t think there was any need for Modi to go on a fast to appease Muslims. Rather than worry about the 18-20 per cent of the Muslim vote, he should perhaps concentrate on the remaining 80 per cent.
Mahesh Babbar, Delhi
The sit headed by ex-CBI head R.K. Raghavan is responsible for the present confusion in the riots case trials. First, he defined the SC order as a mere inquiry: Q&A sessions with the accused. His excuse was that as an fir has not been filed, he has no powers for custodial interrogation and collecting of evidence. Now, all of a sudden, the Supreme Court has dumped the matter in a lower court, asking it to go ahead without first ordering that an fir be filed. What is the use of producing this inquiry material before the district judge at the chargesheet level without an fir or further statutory ‘investigation’? This is sheer miscarriage of justice.
A. Patrawala, Surat
Riots are periods of madness when mobs indulge in the grossest form of indiscriminate violence. Such events have occurred far too often in our recent history, hundreds of them perhaps in our own lifetime all across the country. In such a situation, I can’t understand how justice can even be deemed possible.
Suresh Kamath, Edison, US
