It is strange that the sponsors of the mega event in Houston, U.S., “Howdy Modi”, do not even appear to realise that ultra-nationalism, which grips some in the curiously ambivalent Indian-American community, is a double-edged sword (Editorial page, “One people, many countries”, September 21). One day they could end up facing a backlash from those of their ilk on foreign soil. It appears that the upsurge of populist nationalism in both the U.S. and India in recent times has something to do with this. There is a trend in both countries to push forward narrow and exclusivist definitions of national identity . Beyond all this, the Indian-American community may also have been looking for some kind of a parity — or an illusion of parity — between the U.S. and India in getting the two leaders on a common platform even as the world waits with bated breath for the likely bi-national ramifications of the meet.
M. Jameel Ahmed,
Mysuru
I fail to understand what the multiple identities and split loyalties are which the writer is arguing about and how such identities, if at all they exist, are being trampled on in India under ‘Hindutva rule’. Individual identity, regional identity, language and religious identities have been flourishing from time immemorial and will continue to irrespective of the ideology of whichever party rules. In a democracy, the ruling party does not drop from the sky but is chosen by the majority. Indian voters are more mature and intelligent; the national identity is supreme.
Duggaraju Srinivasa Rao,
Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh
