The situation of the three sisters is a situation many individuals on either side of India-Pakistan border face (OpEd page, “Too afraid to make a phone call”, March 12). The article shows us the mirror — how humanity, love and relationships get sidelined by excessive nationalism, now at a crescendo in India. This has led to divisions in the hearts of ordinary people. Let us not give terrorists a motive to escalate hatred, tension and fear. Borders dividing nations should not divide families, relations and humanity.
Atul Joshi,
Kedarpur, Dehradun, Uttarakhand
The agony of the sisters cannot be fathomed. How unfair life is. The essay only shows the deep after-effects of Partition, made worse by terrorism and war.
B. Prabha,
Varkala, Kerala
Such a moving article in its sensitive portrayal of the dilemma and agony an ordinary family faces. But as a resident of India, I will still say that India is a peaceful country where people can live without fear and in full freedom.
V.T. Sampath Kumaran,
Mysuru
The essay made very disturbing reading as it highlighted the agony that the three sisters all undergo simultaneously. It reflected the pain of the wound that has still to heal and which continues to haunt relations between India and Pakistan. That a sensible section of civil society on both sides of the border is against war and continues to push for a halt to hate politics is heartwarming. Let a healthy political atmosphere be given a chance to blossom.
S.V. Venugopalan,
Chennai
It is agonising to come across such heart-wrenching stories. Even seven decades after Partition, the wound is still fresh. We are now in a state where expressing an opinion that contradicts the majority is labelled as being anti-national. As an individual, one should understand that nationalism or patriotism is not just about being anti-Pakistan but also in empathising with and understanding the diversity of this great nation. The essay was enriching in making us understand better the sensitivities behind many situations that are created following adversity.
Sri Harsha Vakkalanka,
Visakhapatnam
It is unfortunate yet inevitable that conversations between siblings living on both sides of the border invite unnecessary attention when passions run high in a war-like situation. The writer has posed searching questions about the need to insulate the ordinary discourse of life from being poisoned by the suspicions and misunderstandings that surface when tensions escalate between India and Pakistan. However, it appears that he has chosen the wrong audience to address.
His pleas to restore the values of humanity are impassioned, but blaming the victim for the destructive agendas of an implacable adversary is disingenuous. The writer should redirect his moral indignation to expose the root cause of the problem — Pakistan’s treacherous and unstated doctrine of waging a covert war against India.
V.N. Mukundarajan,
Thiruvananthapuram
