This refers to the article, “ >A pull away from the periphery ” (Aug. 21). The Constitution says India is a secular country. The right to religious freedom is a fundamental right. Whenever we talk about the BJP or Narendra Modi, we relate them to Hinduism. But the Prime Minister knows that all religions are equal and he is well-equipped to tackle organisations such as the RSS. While it is true that he started his political career from the organisation, he does know the meaning of secularism. Verdict 2014 is not about religion, because people cutting across religions voted for Mr. Modi.
Saurabh Srivastava,
New Delhi
Hindutva politics has indeed “moved from the fringe to the centre of Indian politics.” Who is to blame for this? The so-called secular parties. A secular state is one in which all religions are given equal respect.
But is that really happening at the ground level? Secular parties have used religion and caste to strengthen their vote banks. If this attitude continues, soon India will become a victim of majoritarian politics.
Ravindra Kotaki,
Bangalore
India has strived to embrace the best ideas from different parts of the world. We have remained a democracy and the Constitution guarantees freedom and equality. And, over the past two decades or more, we have made rapid economic progress with a significant reduction in poverty. We seem to be on the right path. Religion in such a framework ought to be a private affair. While the religion one follows may be mostly an accident of birth, its role is primarily to give us spiritual fulfilment and a sense of discipline.
K. Anand,
Bangalore
