Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

On Gandhiji

The article “It was I who lost, not Gandhiji” (Open Page, June 20) exposed how violence is engineered by our politicians for their selfish ends. Gandhiji's famous letter to Lord Irwin during the Salt March in 1930 is memorable: “Whilst, therefore, I hold the British rule to be a curse, I do not intend to harm a single Englishman or any legitimate interest he may have in India.” The Mahatma changed the world for the better with his ideals of love and tolerance and demonstrated how a feeble man could achieve exemplary feat through ahimsa.

J. Eden Alexander,

Thanjavur

With the passage of time, irreversible changes have crept into our society as well as in people's conduct. The widespread belief today is that low-profile, ethical agitations do not create the desired impact and peaceful means do not get the requisite media coverage. The government, too, seems unaffected by them. Groups, therefore, believe that the only option before them is to create tremors in the corridors of power.

Arjun R. Shankar,

Thiruvananthapuram

Gandhiji's weapons of ahimsa and satyagraha, which evoked fear among the British imperialists, are unfortunately ineffective against our policymakers. Today, silent marches, hunger strikes, and self-immolations fail to evoke any response. Even violent methods as practised by Maoists make no difference. Talks and reasoning have been long forgotten as a method of settling controversial issues. India remains a democracy only on paper. Political decisions are often autocratic and are rarely influenced by public opinion.

K.R. Kamath,

Mangalore

The article opened our eyes to the indisputable fact that politicians are a class unto themselves. The irony is — it is not the system that has failed but the people who operate it. Ramayana rightly explains this thus: “to pretend to be virtuous when one is not so, to pretend to be pure when really one is not, to appear as possessing all the good qualities that make a righteous man, to pretend to be a man of principles when one does not have any and to act un-righteously in the garb of righteousness — all these are to be condemned.”

R. Balaji,

Chennai

Over six decades, violence has become the best tool to achieve a goal for not just Maoists but also political leaders, students, workers, religious groups and others. The inspiration comes from people's representatives who are busy hurling slippers and paper-weights on the floor of the legislature. We have reached a stage that is beyond redemption. Even if Gandhiji were to be reborn, he may not be worshipped or followed.

T. Krithika,

Chennai

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