The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : Advani's resignation

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Thursday, Jun 09, 2005

Opinion

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Advani's resignation

L.K. Advani, who resigned as BJP chief on Tuesday, has been consumed by the Frankenstein of communalism he helped to foster through his rath yatras and the Ram Janmabhoomi agitation. He may plead today that December 6, 1992 was the saddest day in his life. But it was he who promoted the movement for demolition of the Babri mosque.

Doublespeak is nothing new to the BJP leaders. Did not Atal Bihari Vajpayee express regret over the Gujarat killings while continuing to lead the party that rose to power almost entirely on a communal plank? Only this time, Mr. Advani's doublespeak did not come to his help and he had, at least for the moment, to bite the dust.

A. Umakantha Sarma,
Mountain View, California

Mr. Advani's description of Mohammed Ali Jinnah as a secular leader and his regret over the Babri Masjid demolition should not be misunderstood as political camouflage or stunt. They reflect his change of stance. A Hindutva hardliner has taken to the path of peace, which is the need of the hour. Jinnah alone was not instrumental in partitioning the country. The Congress and right-wing political parties were equally to blame. In fact, compared to Gandhiji, who was a devout Hindu, Jinnah was not at all religious. That such an irreligious leader advocated a separate state for Muslims is only a reflection of the political climate and compulsions of the day.

Thadigir Potha Raju,
Karimnagar, A.P.

Mr. Advani's statement seems to have been blown out of proportion by the fundamentalists in the Sangh Parivar in general and some of his major political opponents in particular. It is not as if his statement on Jinnah will have drastic consequences — Pakistan is not going to become secular overnight. What does India stand to lose? Mr. Advani was ready for a national debate but his opponents were so restless that they forced him out. His unexpected exit from the helm of affairs will cause irreparable damage to the BJP.

J. Dasgupta,
Coimbatore

It is no doubt necessary to debate the historical accuracy of Mr. Advani's remarks and his motive in making them. But the manner in which he has been condemned is unbecoming of a mature, secular democracy that aspires to bury the hatchet with its neighbour and become a developed nation. How can lasting peace and harmony be achieved if Indians do not even tolerate one of its political leaders saying something good about Jinnah to his hosts?

Indians may call Jinnah an opportunist, a fundamentalist, egoist, etc., but that cannot change the reality that the people of Pakistan adore him as the father of their nation. Nearly six decades have passed since the unfortunate and sad events of Partition. It is time we accepted with serenity the things that cannot be changed and move on.

S.S. Vasan,
Oxford, England

Mr. Advani was a guest of Pakistan. It has become customary for a visiting dignitary to pay homage to the founders or eminent leaders of the host country. Even Pervez Musharraf laid a wreath at the Rajghat when he visited India in 2001.

Mr. Advani could not have obviously spoken derisively of Jinnah while offering homage to him. What he did was in consonance with diplomatic norms.

T.V. Rama Rao,
Bangalore

Jinnah could well be held responsible for his premature and catastrophic call for `Direct Action' which resulted in a colossal human tragedy but the fact remains that even if the League had softened its stand on Partition, the Congress would not have been very comfortable in an undivided India with a national assembly consisting of a substantially huge segment of Muslim legislators from the east and west.

It is unwise to dig into the past and play the blame game. It is time the people of India and Pakistan buried their past.

Ismayil Ibrahim Liyakath,
Tirunelveli, T.N.

If Jinnah was responsible for Partition, Nehru was not against it. Again, if Jinnah wanted power, Nehru also wanted it. So if Nehru can be called secular, why not Jinnah? If Mr. Advani's description of the latter can strengthen the ties between India and Pakistan, the soul of both leaders will approve it.

Maria Madani,
Hyderabad

Mr. Advani's regret of the demolition of the Babri Masjid was strange, coming as it did from the person who sought votes in the name of building a Ram temple at the disputed site at Ayodhya. He was serious either in Pakistan or India. From his defence of his recent utterances, it appears he was fooling the electorate all along. At least those who want a Ram temple should stop taking him seriously.

Sanjiv Kushwaha,
Lucknow

It is unbelievable that the man who accused Pakistan of interfering in India's internal affairs when it condemned the demolition described the same incident as the saddest thing from Pakistani soil.

M. Chandrasekhar,
Cuddapah, A.P.

Mr. Advani toured Pakistan as Leader of the Opposition, a position he owes to the BJP — the largest Opposition party in Parliament.

As BJP member, he should have adhered to the party agenda. His resignation as president is good riddance to the BJP.

Seshagiri Row Karry,
Hyderabad

Mr. Advani's stand during his Pakistan visit is calibrated to alter the image of the BJP. His non-retraction of his statements in the face of a hue and cry from his Parivar and resignation will catapult him to the pedestal of an intellectual leader.

If he stands his ground in the coming days and succeeds in inculcating inclusive ideas in his cadres, the day will not be far off when the other rabble-rousing and hatred-spewing sections of the Sangh Parivar become irrelevant.

Kasim Sait,
Chennai

The RSS advocates religious bigotry which cannot stand the scrutiny of truth emanating in the age of science. Mr. Advani did the right thing by speaking the truth.

For that if venom is spewed on him, he will only grow in stature.

N. Nandhivarman,
Pondicherry

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