Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Supplicant minority?

Sir, — Giving prominence to ecclesiastical matters over temporal affairs will only work to the disadvantage of a community. This has been elaborately explained by Pratap Bhanu Mehta in his article ``The dilemmas of Muslim politics'' (May 17 and 18). Muslims in the post-Independence period have failed to effectively highlight to the powers that be their social backwardness arising out of educational and economic backwardness. We are really a supplicant minority and yet to be recognised as full citizens.

Muslims have to come clear on the charge that the spirit of `jehad' pervades their consciousness. They will have to convince the suspecting people that `jehad' is not relevant in the Indian context because no Muslim is persecuted here on account of his faith.

The Godhra carnage and the Gujarat genocide should open the eyes of Muslims to the fact that religious stridency will result in an incalculable loss to the community. The Gujarat situation is returning to normality not because of the outcry of Muslims but because a large part of the majority community possesses sanity and feels that the minorities should not be annihilated under one pretext or another.

H. Syed Mathani,

Tiruchi, T.N.

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