Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

On the Babri Masjid

With elections tothe Uttar Pradesh Assembly round the corner, it is but natural for political leaders to exploit the Babri Masjid issue. What Rahul Gandhi said about Narasimha Rao's inaction could touch a raw nerve among Congressmen. But the fact is Rao was naive enough to trust Kalyan Singh to protect the Masjid. Whether a member of the Gandhi family could have taken action to protect it is a moot point. But there is nothing wrong in Congress leaders doing introspection. Failure to protect the mosque was certainly a blot on the Narasimha Rao Government.

D.B.N. Murthy,
Bangalore

* * *

The Gandhi family had many other opportunities to face mobs (Gujarat, Mumbai riots). People need not be in politics if they are really concerned about a cause.

Shiva Subramanya,
Bangalore

* * *

Rahul would do well to remember that it was a non-Gandhi family Prime Minister who apologised to the nation for the massacre of Sikhs, which a Gandhi family Prime Minister could not prevent.

M.K.B. Nambiar,
Mahe

* * *

Everyone knows the little things Rahul's father did in the run-up to the demolition. Like facilitating the opening of the Masjid's locks, allowing shilanyas for the Ram temple, and launching his 1989 election campaign from Ayodhya with the promise of a Ram rajya. After all this, to say that Rajiv Gandhi would have sacrificed his life to protect the Masjid is to plug a hole with darkness.

J. Akshobhya,
Mysore

* * *

For 40 years and more, politics in the country has been characterised by a struggle for power between the Gandhi-Nehru family and others. So Rahul cannot be blamed for his statement. To him, the Congress was never a democratic party but an appendage of his family and the Narasimha Rao period was only that of one holding the power of attorney. He earnestly believes that the absence of the real owners of the Congress leadership was the reason for the demolition.

N. Devanand,
Maroor

* * *

Mr. Gandhi has made it clear that his family is not really a part of the party that worships it. The Gandhi family should only be credited with the good that the party does. The blame for any failure or debacle shall be laid at the doors of the party minus the Gandhi family.

K. Ramarao,
Visakhapatnam

Hats off to Rahul Gandhi for his outspokenness. The father of our nation, after careful consideration, entrusted the responsibility of safeguarding the hard-earned freedom to the Nehru family. Not to the Congress. That is exactly what Rahul has said.

S.V. Subbarao,
Hyderabad

* * *

V.P. Singh sacrificed his office because he was Prime Minister when L.K. Advani's rath yatra was prevented from entering Ayodhya in 1990. Almost all the parties at both the regional and national levels depend on the charisma of individual leaders. Not only a Gandhi, any courageous leader like V.P. Singh would have saved the Masjid.

R. Raja,
Coimbatore

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