An Indianness

The focus of the article, “ >An Indianness that needs no Aadhar ” (April 14), seems to be on the perceived anti-minority policy of the BJP.

The writer has to be reminded that the anti-Sikh riots of 1984 did not happen under a BJP government and that inter-caste clashes in many parts of the country have been a frequent phenomenon irrespective of which political party is in power. The spate of recent incidents could have the backing of fringe elements who may not be acting at the behest of the BJP.

Vikram Sundaramurthy,

Chennai

We will have to eschew the Singhs and live with the Nandys and that is the essence of Indianness. I recollect my grandmother telling me that she was taught Carnatic music by a music teacher who was a Christian. Yousef Ali Kecheri, the poet and lyricist who passed away recently was a scholar in Sanskrit. In the erstwhile Travancore university, students with Malayalam as the second language were to study a prescribed chapter from the Adhyatma Ramayanam , in order to appreciate the language of the poet Ezhuthachan and the values of life enshrined therein. It was taught by professors of all religions. All this is in contrast to what would happen now if the Gita was proposed to be prescribed for schools; a spar would ensue saying it is a violation of secularism.

K.R. Unnithan,

Chennai