Dear Editor,
This refers to the article, “Pseudo unity in diversity!” by Poonam I Kaushish (Features, Jan 30, 2018). The film, Padmavat is based on Malik Muhammad Jayasi’s poem which according to historians is a fiction and not fact. It is a shame that unruly mobs are using fiction as a pretext for taking the law into their own hands.
These Frankenstein monsters have taken to such inhuman extremes as to openly issue death threats to Deepika Padukone just for portraying the character of Padmavati in the film and even attack and pelt hapless school children with stones.
It is a pity that our administration has miserably failed to quarantine these vigilantes. How long will the mob hold the law and order, the Supreme Court’s directive and humanity to ransom? How long must we tolerate such a brutal attack on our school going children?
We must not forget what Tagore said about our tolerance for intolarance in one of his famous poems. He said, ~ “He who commits wrong or condones the same/ May your contempt singe like a reed in flame.”
Yours,
Sujit De, Kolkata