Washington T. Nayak: Apropos your cover story on the ‘Pakistanisation’ of India (The Mirror States, Nov 16), if you watch the trajectory of Hindutva ideology spearheaded by the RSS over the past century, one thing is clear. The Nagpur Brahmin elite, with diabolical cunning, have succeeded in convincing poorer castes that they have an enemy in Muslims, who pose an existential threat to Hindus. The sad thing is, the underclasses swallow this garbage. Bihar notwithstanding.
Delhi Chandrasekhar: A bunch of fringe elements barking now and then is sending entire leftist mobs into fits of hysteria. Leftists had a free run in recasting Indian history and manufacturing a narrative that suited their make-believe world of what India should be. However uncomfortable Indian history is, with all its communal conflicts and differences, we are better off confronting it head-on and reconciling the differences through democratic institutions. Instead, these leftists embarked on a massive social experiment—preferring a material-economic history, undervaluing local textual sources, and emphasising narrative elements that do not much distinguish between natives and outsiders.
Mumbai Rajesh Chary: India has not become intolerant because Shahrukh said something, a BJP leader said something, or a US Congressman said something. India is secular and tolerant not because the government or the PM is secular or tolerant. It’s tolerant because we the common people have a secular culture and heritage. If Indians were communal at heart, the government and its instruments like the police wouldn’t be able to stop a billion people from murdering each other. Give the aam aadmi some credit.
Bangalore S. Sreenivas: Just to justify its one-sided theory, Outlook quotes some foreign personalities and press. These have been adopted by our liberal, anti-Modi press! By writing such a one-sided view and getting away with it shows NDA under NaMo is highly tolerant!
Pune Ramesh Raghuvanshi: India has the longest history of a secular society in Asia. Some bigoted buffoons crying for a fundamentalist society will never penetrate the core. Tolerance lies in the very soul of Hinduism. Intolerant people claiming to speak on behalf of Hindus should carefully read history.
Bangalore J. Akshay: I just wonder whether our journalists are the modern version of Narada—both wise and mischievous. What is the need to ask uncomfortable leading questions to celebrities, virtually putting words in their mouth? During the celebratory interviews with SRK on his turning 50, the superstar offered this nugget of wisdom: adding his voice to the chorus of dissent, he agreed that there was “extreme intolerance” in the country. As expected, Hindutva leaders attacked him. I hold journalists squarely responsible for spoiling his day.
Kochi George Jacob: Outlook is absolutely right. With the parivar’s fringe goons slaying intellectuals, peeping into kitchens to see if beef is cooking, torching Dalits alive, and labelling actors ‘Pak agents’, India indeed is being ‘Pakistanised’. We only hope democratic Indians don’t go our rogue neighbour’s way.
Guwahati Arjun Bhattacharya: Outlook’s story was a blatant, one-sided rant. As if India has become intolerant overnight! Why don’t you back it up with some stats, rather than cherry-pick, based on a few prejudiced feelings?
Dehradun Rakesh Agarwal: Intolerance hasn’t grown overnight in India—Dalits, Adivasis, women and minorities have been discriminated against and ridiculed for centuries. Even the scriptures sanction it. As Lord Rama says in the Ramcharitmanas, “Dhol, ganwar, shudra, pashu, nari/Sakal tadna ke adhikari (A drum, an illiterate, poor people, animals and women all deserve a beating to get the best out of them).”
