The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : Condemnable

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Friday, Mar 07, 2008
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Condemnable

Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray’s derogatory statements against Biharis in an editorial in Saamna, the party mouthpiece, are highly irresponsible and condemnable. That the Centre and the Maharashtra government are not doing anything much to stop the abuse is a cause for concern. Instead of shedding crocodile tears, they should handle the situation firmly to instil confidence among the north Indians in the State.

The Election Commission should at least issue a notice to the Shiv Sena and the MNS asking them why their registration should not be cancelled.

Arvind Kumar Singh,

New Delhi

* * *

The pernicious spark ignited by Raj Thackeray is threatening to turn into a raging fire engulfing Maharashtra. Political parties and Bollywood are doing everything they can to aggravate, or at least sustain, it for their benefit.

The issue is not just about regional chauvinism. It has a greater dimension that can have serious repercussions on the nation’s integrity. Politics that damages the very fabric of Indian polity cannot, and should not, be tolerated by the people or political parties, irrespective of their ideological inclination.

Abhishek Mayank,

Bangalore

* * *

Mr. Bal Thackeray’s vitriolic outbursts against Biharis, taking off from where his nephew left, are highly irresponsible and condemnable. Time is ripe for civil society to protest against such divisive politics before it escalates and goes out of control.

It is worth recalling Pastor Martin Niemoller’s ominous words: “First they came for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak up, because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me.”

Ramani P. Easwaran,

Bangalore

* * *

Mr. Bal Thackeray should realise that he is not the owner of Maharashtra. Nobody has given him the right to decide who should live there. As a responsible citizen, he should desist from his anti-national activity of branding fellow Indians as outsiders or unwanted.

Every Indian has the right to live anywhere in the country. It is time leaders like him were dealt with strictly by the authorities.

V.S. Ganeshan,

Bangalore

* * *

Marathi or Bihari, we are all Indians first. Unfortunately, our leaders have forgotten this basic lesson. Thackeray senior’s remark against Biharis has the potential to harm the country’s integrity.

D. Narasa Raju,

Visakhapatnam

* * *

If there is anyone who is unwanted, it is Bal Thackeray, his nephew and their ilk. Their tirade is unconstitutional and anti-national. The duo should be dealt with severely.

Chandan Puri,

New Delhi

* * *

Our governments have been playing the game of locals and non-locals for so long that India has not been opened up for Indians even after six decades of independence. They have become non-locals almost everywhere on their own soil. We must end divisive and vote-bank politics so that all Indians get equal education and employment opportunities in every part of India. But we cannot open up India for Indians unless we open our minds first.

N.V.S.N. Murthy,

Secunderabad

* * *

In a modern and democratic India, parochial views such as those of the Thackerays have no place. If Bal Thackeray is concerned about the erosion of the Marathi language and culture in Mumbai and other urban centres of Maharashtra, he should address it in other ways. It does not make any sense to target a single group of migrants and beat up innocent people. Locals can be encouraged to be more competitive, everyone can be urged to learn Marathi and similar steps taken. If the Sena’s attitude spreads across India, I shudder to think of what will happen to our great nation.

Md. Ziyaullah Khan,

Pune

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