Letters-58: "Platitude or Declaration?"

The headline, 'Manmohan: no terrorist or enemy can destroy India's unity' (The Hindu, Dec.4), illustrates how a Prime Minister can make a self-evident platitude sound like a new declaration of national intent and a call to arms by a patriotic, unifying group of politicians. After the thousands of terrorist attacks and tens of thousands of innocent lives lost, which successive bands of netas have done little about, the one thing every Indian knows without the need for exhortations from anyone is that every such attack has resulted in greater unity. If it had been otherwise, this country would have imploded years ago. Our politicians miss no opportunity to pit the Muslim against the Hindu, and the Hindu against the Christian, one caste against another, tribes against castes, and sons of the soil against 'outsiders'.

The only schism they have left untouched is the poor against the rich. Indian unity is a reality that exists, not because of, but despite their machinations. - Nowroz J.Cama, Chennai.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, December 5, 2008 ("Letters to the Editor").

Grateful thanks to The Hindu.