Jug Suraiya has surpassed himself in his piece, India minus k-word (TOI,20/8). He can apply for Nobel peace prize along with Arundhati Roy ! Years ago I had read a book, Mission with Mountbatten written by his secretary, Alan Cambell-Johnson where he quotes Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru as saying, ' cut the head to get rid of the head-ache' with reference to the division of India. The partition has not solved any problem. Pakistan has still to find a proper identity – the only identity it has is that of anti-India. At that time the slogan was, 'Islam in danger'. Now the slogan is, 'azadi'. With this slogan, Kashmiri pandits have been driven out of Kashmir – in the true spirit of 'ethnic cleansing'. Sufi Islam, the tolerant Islam, has been converted into Wahabi Islam, thanks to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Do these bleeding-heart 'liberals' want our country to surrender to every black-mail ? Do they want India to be a soft state – bend at every demand by die-hard fundamentalists ? Is giving some land to Amarnath Yatra, an act of colonialsm ?
India has been a democratic state for the last 61 years where every segment of the population has been given freedom of thought and expression, voice their grievances and get justice. It might not be an ideal state but has strived to be one. It has been well-said that when there is a general election, there is no need for a general strike. Similarly, when there is representation, there is no need for secession.
A letter sent to the Times of India, August 20, 2008.
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