The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : Visa row

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Wednesday, Mar 23, 2005

Opinion

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Visa row

Sir, — The denial of visa to Narendra Modi by the U.S. has only helped convert what should have been a low-key affair into a massive publicity exercise for him. While it is the sovereign right of a country to grant or deny visas, the U.S. has no locus standi to pass judgment on Mr. Modi's acts of commission and omission, which are for the Indian judiciary and the people of India, especially Gujarat, to judge.

B. Krishnakumar,
Secunderabad

* * *

Sir, — Does the U.S. have any right to talk about human rights after the publication of its rights violations in Abu Ghraib?

Chivukula Vasudev,
New Delhi

* * *

Sir, — Mr. Modi, for good or for bad, is an elected Chief Minister of an Indian State. Despite what he did or did not do, he won a democratic mandate.

Large sections of educated Indians believe that George Bush violated democratic norms and has, without reason, killed thousands of innocent people in Iraq.

Some even suggest that he should be charged with crimes against humanity. Yet he is the elected President of the U.S. and this status has to be respected despite one's opposition to him.

A. Meghana,
Hyderabad

* * *

Sir, — Washington has no business to decide on the secular credentials of Indian leaders.

M.N. Sundararaman,
Chennai

* * *

Sir, — Mr. Modi should have been defeated at the polls. But he should not get political mileage out of the American `verdict.' The U.S. should be the last country to deny visa on grounds of violation of human rights, seeing what it did in Vietnam and is doing in Iraq.

While Mr. Modi is guilty of denying religious tolerance in Gujarat, the U.S. is guilty of denying even basic democracy to freedom loving countries. While Mr. Modi's operations are territorial, American actions are global. Will India at least now refuse visa to American leaders? Are we not a sovereign nation?

N.G.R. Prasad,
Chennai

* * *

Sir, — The editorial "A slap in Mr. Modi's face" (March 19), instead of addressing the key issue of the propriety of the U.S. Government's move, only cast Mr. Modi as the Hindutva bogeyman.

C.G. Janardan,
Chennai

* * *

Sir, — The Hindu is well within its rights to fault Mr. Modi for the manner in which he handled the Gujarat riots. But it is worth remembering what Subramaniam Bharati said: Aayiram undingu jaathi enil anniyar vandhu puhal enna needhi (there may be 1000 castes in our country but does that justify foreign interference?)

D. Natarajan,
Chennai

* * *

Sir, — When no court in our country has so far pronounced Mr. Modi guilty, the U.S. — the murderer of thousands of innocents in Iraq and once a sponsor of terrorism against Russia — has no moral right to accuse him of violation of human rights.

Whatever we have against Mr. Modi can be sorted out within our country. Let us not allow outside forces to call our leaders names.

Swaroop R. Joshi,
Surathkal, Karnataka

* * *

Sir, — If Mr. Modi is guilty of violating religious freedom so is the U.S. for the ongoing atrocities against lakhs of innocent Muslim children, women and men in the name of finding weapons of mass destruction.

A. Rajasekaran,
Salem, T.N.

* * *

Sir, — It is all very well to question the U.S.' credentials. But even post-9/11, there were no riots in the U.S. In contrast, in Gujarat, the post-Godhra rioters were given a free hand, the deployment of the Army was delayed, and justice was obstructed to such an extent that the riot cases had to be shifted out of Gujarat. Everything was justified in the name of Newton's law.

Nawaz Sarfaraz Ali,
Bangalore

* * *

Sir, — Now the BJP is crying from rooftops that the U.S. has hurt the nation's swabhiman and the Constitution by revoking Mr. Modi's visa. Were not the 2002 riots an insult to India and its Constitution?

Chowdhry Nisar Ahmed,
Ambur, T.N.

* * *

Sir, — It is disturbing that the NDA allowed Mr. Modi to convert the issue into a matter of national sentiment. Instead of crying hoarse over hurt sentiments, we need to aspire for sustainable pride. We need an effective prosecution system and perseverance to establish secularism.

Manish Ranjan,
Stockholm

* * *

Sir, — The UPA Government's protest to the U.S. authorities is in sharp contrast to the behaviour of the former NDA Government. When its own Defence Minister was humiliated by the U.S., the Vajpayee Government swallowed the insult and even justified the strip search.

G. Balasubramnian,
Chennai

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