Erosion of secularism

Editor,

Sporting a skull cap – definitely Pakistani. Wearing a turban – certainly Khalistani. Praying to Jesus – must be Italian. Speaking Bangla – of course Bangladeshi. Of Mongoloid lineage – Indeed Myanmarese.

No disgrace is enough for the ecosystem which remains billions of miles away from all sense of the ‘idea of India’, diversity, secularism and linguistic and religious heterogeneity.

It is high time the sane section of the electorate joined hands to exterminate this divisive force from the citadel of power which feel no qualms in issuing diktat over diet attires, prayers, and even names of caged animals.

A foul-mouthed prominent leader of Bengal is notorious for showering a deluge of cuss words upon Bengalis and Muslims – both soft targets. Now his ire has got directed towards the Sikhs, perhaps because of his party’s two successive failures in the Punjab assembly polls, and also for the farmer protests being primarily led by the community. But this representative of the evil force of hatred has forgotten that the Sikhs are much tougher nuts, thanks to their impeccable self-respect, and so they will not let the ‘Khalistani’ slur to be swept under the carpet in a hurry.

Apart from the Sikh community, all sane secular Indians, irrespective of demographic background, must relentlessly protest against the issue, demand exemplary punishment for the foul-talker for invoking racism, and ask for unconditional apology from the who’s who of the party concerned, as the flow of poison starts from the very top.

Kajal Chatterjee,

D-2/403,

Peerless Nagar, Kolkata