Date:14/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/14/stories/2008071455401001.htm

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Masterpiece

The interview with L.K. Advani (July 11 & 12) is a masterpiece in political reporting. The array of questions and the depth of coverage reveal the sincerity of purpose. Apart from its relevance to the political scenario, the work has great academic appeal for both teachers and students of journalism. N. Ram deserves all praise for extracting the best from one of the tallest and toughest politicians of our times. Mr. Advani too has done a commendable job by giving forthright replies.

Nisha Gopalan,

Chennai

Hats off to Mr. Ram for his excellent set of questions, which Mr. Advani answered with conviction, sagacity and wisdom. Particularly significant was his clarification on the BJP’s doctrinaire stand on Hindutva — that Indianness and Hindutva are synonymous. He has only reiterated his oft-repeated view that the word “Hindutva” should not be seen in a purely religious connotation.

N. Jagannathan,

Chennai

It is to Mr. Advani’s credit that by sticking to his Jinnah remarks and by making sincere attempts to ward off the hardliner tag, he has paved the way for the BJP to move forward. The defence of Narendra Modi, though, is disturbing. He is absolutely right in saying there is a total lack of coalition dharma in the Congress-led UPA. It betrayed the Left parties, which provided its government a lifeline without any personal agenda for four years.

Kasim Sait,

Chennai

The Prime Minister-in-waiting says that it was not genocide in Gujarat in 2002 and that it was one among the several riots that have taken place in the country. Independent fact-finding teams which went into the Gujarat carnage have concluded that it was not a riot but a pogrom carried out systematically targeting Muslim homes, institutions, and establishments, in which more than 2000 Muslims were killed and several thousands rendered homeless. Some rural settlements were completely wiped out. If such a horrendous massacre of innocent Muslim men, women and children is not genocide, what is it?

K. Lakshmanan,

Tiruchi