Editor,
Enough has been debated on the issue of rising”intolerance” in our country. It seems from the views of our celebrities, newspaper columnists, intellectuals that India was very tolerant before and as soon as the BJP government held the reins of power the country started becoming intolerant. Well my question is when was India tolerant and why all the tailor made protests now only. When was India tolerant, when (a) when millions of Kashmiri pundits were driven away from their homes. (b) When Sikhs were massacred in the streets of Delhi and Mr Rajiv Gandhi justified it by saying,” When a big tree falls, earth shakes” (c) When Hindi speaking people were hounded like dogs in Assam (d) When non tribals were butchered in Shillong. (d) When we are divided in the categories of SC/ST/OBC/ minorities/ general and the meritorious candidates are sacrificed for the mediocre one’s to keep the vote bank alive of the so called secular parties.
INDIA was never tolerant bis now exhibiting the worst form of “intolerance” by pseudo secularists and so called intellectuals simply because they cannot digest the fact that a tea seller (chai wala) boy has grown up to become the Prime Minister of India by his sheer hard work, perseverance and determination. I do not align nor subscribe to the political ideologies of the BJP but I surely do believe many youths from the lower strata of the society do look up to Modi as inspiration to live their dreams. Finally, a word from an illiterate Hindu woman. ” I am a simple Hindu woman and Ifollow my religion. I do not stop my children from visiting churches,mosques, Gurudwara as I respect all religions. But please don’t mock my religion by organising a beef party as I don’t mock yours”. I believe this is the worst form of “intolerance”.
Yours etc.,
Sunil Khanal,
Shillong