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Gujarat elections

The scholarly article “Gujarat elections: some reflections” (Jan. 5) clearly warns us of the folly of brushing aside the horrendous events of 2002 on the basis of Narendra Modi’s landslide in the recently held election to the State Assembly.

What is disturbing is a large section seems to have endorsed or chosen to forget the riots. One is reminded of the frenzy that gripped most of Germany when the Nazis came to power.

John P. Anthony,

Hyderabad

The suggestion by some readers that it is time we moved forward and forgot the 2002 riots is disturbing. The victims of the genocide are still living in fear and deplorable conditions, while the perpetrators are free. Isn’t it the government’s responsibility to rehabilitate the victims and punish the perpetrators? Since when did the demand for justice become retrograde? Why should we have courts and a justice system?

Seyed Ibrahim,

Chennai

A comparison between Gujaratis and Germans under the Nazi regime is atrocious. We haven’t read about concentration camps or killing of Muslims every day since 2002, have we? The Gujarati Hindus and Muslims have put the horrors of 2002 behind them and moved on.

Sudhamshu Hebbar,

Chennai

The Nazis planned their murders and committed them en masse — persecuting the Jews systematically. What happened in Gujarat was spontaneous and the government controlled the riots after initial hiccups. A majority of 5 crore Gujaratis voted for Mr. Modi. Their collective wisdom, I am sure, cannot be faulted.

Raghu Seshadri,

Chennai

True, Gujarat 2002 should not have happened, true the government failed to curb the riots in time. But it is also true that Gujarat has made tremendous progress in recent years, for which Mr. Modi deserves credit.

Is the Gujarat electorate so insensitive as to vote a demon to power? Let us not overlook Gujarat’s achievement. And let us praise Mr. Modi for what he has done for Gujarat after the riots.

Nikhil Srivastava,

Bokaro

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