Sir: This letter is in reference to your editorial ‘More communal clashes’ (Daily Times, September 10, 2013). It is very unfortunate that, in northern India, the ghosts of the subcontinent’s partition never did get laid to rest. One can find them active at the behest of a small incident or scuffle between neighbours. The communal mindset does not take much time to trigger a chain of events leading to rampant killings and destruction. A small incident in Muzaffarnagar district, which could have been settled then and there, was exploited by every beneficiary – political parties, political opportunists and media – to their advantage but at the cost of more than 40 dead bodies, numerous injured and hundreds of people made homeless.
Again, this incident is being blamed on the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and its supporters as it is reported they incited violence by circulating a fake video on the internet, which spread via mobile communication like jungle fire. It is alleged that the said video was in fact the copy of another video showing the death of two boys in Pakistan in 2010 at the hands of a charged mob. Such an irresponsible act was sufficient to put the communal mindset to work overtime. As general elections in India are around the corner, one may link such violence as being a prerequisite to win elections in northern India. It is high time for introspection: we must find out why a 65-year-old secular India is still unable to sideline those who survive on hatred and violence. Perhaps, one day these political parties will learn to win elections without resorting to violence against disadvantaged sectors of society.
MASOOD KHAN
Jubail,
Saudi Arabia