The Hindu : Democratic anarchy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jan 21, 2003

Opinion

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Democratic anarchy

Sir, — One would like to ask, `Is anyone in charge in Delhi?' In today's India, the "largest democratic anarchy" is on display: elected leaders on worldwide jaunts, 5-star hotel parties and birthday bashes at public expense are just some examples.

A serious case against the Kashmir Times Editor, Iftikar Gilani, is dropped without fanfare while the Home Minister says, "the internal security situation is grave".

The Prime Minister sees nothing wrong in rewriting history, while the Congress rejects his equating Hindutva with Indianness as a political manoeuvre to distort a great culture for political ends and the communists allude to his doubletalk as part of a routine "trick" to start a new debate on secularism.

Does Hindutva ail Hinduism? Alluding to "forced conversions" and with ethnic cleansing of minorities i.e. Christians and Muslims on his mind, the Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, is to move a Freedom of Religion Bill and yet there is a thundering silence from the coalition government's clapper boys — the non-BJP minor party players on Raisina Hill.

With the setting up of a Nuclear Command Authority (triggered by the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf's speech to his Air Force commanders), South Block promises massive, punitive retaliation — "There will be no Pakistan left", says the Defence Minister, forgetting that when the former Army chief, Padmanabhan, said something similar he was ticked off.

Mukund B. Kunte,
New Delhi

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