M A I L B A G

It’s time Modi followed Raj Dharma

IN his article “It’s Modi versus Rule of Law” (Sept 17), Mr H.K. Dua rightly reminded Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and his government about the concept of Raj Dharma. Millions of public-spirited people are happy that the Supreme Court has taken cognisance of how the administration of criminal law has allowed itself to appear in cahoots with the heinous criminals in the Best Bakery case.

Even since the outrageous killing of Muslims in Gujarat right up to the acquittals in the Best Bakery case, there have been cries from thinkers and ersatz secularists for the ouster of Mr Modi. On this point, I am reminded of the incident in the famous movie “Ben Hur” where the outgoing Governor of Jueda tells his successor Messala, “You can fight an idea only with an idea and not by killing ideologue.” If Mr Modi is removed, he will certainly go extra-constitutional by putting up a dummy as his successor by quoting the precedence set by Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav in Bihar.

There is no denying the fact that politicians like Mr Modi and others of his ilk in different politico-religious fences have been spawned by subtle communalism masquerading as spurious secularism and dubious casteism practised by the grand old party of India and its fellow travellers. Thanks to them, people now prefer the “genuine” over the artificial stuff.

The bottom line is that we in India have formed a full circle of guilt and blame where the accusing finger, after completing the circumference, ends up at your back.

R.C. KHANNA, Amritsar

II

Mr H.K. Dua’s article (Sept. 17) examines the Supreme Court’s stinging observation vis-a-vis the much-published Best Bakery case against Mr Narendra Modi’s curious style of functioning. However, the article misses a vital point: the Vajpayee-led NDA government’s stark failure to uphold the rule of law — the boldest imperative for an elected state government to continue in office — as testified by the apex court, warranted Mr Modi’s peremptory dismissal. As Mr Dua bluntly observes, in Gujarat, the contest is between “Modi’s hubris” and the “Rule of Law”. Has the NDA government opted for Mr Modi’s hubris, pray? How sad, if so!

TARA CHAND, Ambota

III

Apropos of Mr H.K. Dua’s article, the Supreme Court has rightly pulled up Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for his inability to protect the innocent lives lost in the Best Bakery case and deliberately putting up a weak prosecution to help the guilty go scot free. Governments are meant to punish law breakers and protect the innocents. It is the Raj Dharma which Mr Modi conveniently forgot to follow merely to appease the majority community with a view to winning the elections and retaining his gaddi. How can we call such governments democratic, though elected by the people for the people? Had the National Human Rights Commission not taken pains to revive the Best Bakery case, justice would have been denied to the aggrieved forever.

Same is the case of the 1984 riots victims where thousands of Sikhs were massacred but no one has been prosecuted even after a span of 19 years, simply due to the involvement and patronage of political bigwigs. If our democracy has to survive, the law of the land must take its own course and none should be allowed to circumvent it, howsoever strong one may be.

KARNAIL SINGH, Ranjit Sagar Dam

IV

This has reference to Mr H.K. Dua’s article “It’s Modi versus Rule of Law” (Sept 17). Why are we after Mr Modi’s blood alone? Prosecution agencies failing to secure conviction has become a common feature in almost every state. How many other Chief Ministers have been asked to quit on this score?

And why should the failure be attributed to prosecution alone? How about the courts themselves? Why shouldn’t a judge, who is unable to sift truth from the falsehood produced before him, also quit to make way for a better one?

Wg-Cdr C.L. SEHGAL (retd), Jalandhar

V

Mr H.K. Dua, in his article, has strongly decried the fiefdom of Mr Narendra Modi. The Best Bakery case is a solid proof of the fact that Mr Modi has made democracy timorous, cruel and cynical. Communalism is crystallised around a single credo like Mr Modi. The Supreme Court ruling is timely and historical.

I agree with Mr Dua’s observation that “Mr Modi has become an embarrassment for his state as well as the party”. Mr Modi's diabolical gesture in protecting the prosecution is vicious and should be condemned by one and all.

HANS RAJ JAIN and RAJ KUMAR JAIN, Moga

VI

When Gujarat was in flames, Mr Modi’s explanation for his government’s inability to contain the violence was: “It is the anger of five crore people of Gujarat against a gruesome act”. This had drawn widespread condemnation.

The Supreme Court has now put restrictions on the dictatorial attitude of Mr Modi. This reminds me of Demosthenos who says, “Every dictator is an enemy of freedom and an opponent of law”.

JAGTAR SINGH, SAS Nagar

VII

This has reference to Mr H.K. Dua’s article. The heading of the article “Modi verses the Rule of Law” is apt. I may add that though senior BJP leaders could have nipped the evil in the bud, they did not act in time for political gains at the cost of the nation.

There is a big difference between just utterances and actual doings as far as Raj Dharma is concerned. Sadly, the maxim ‘Practice what you preach’ is yet to be followed by our top politicians.

Dr U.S. BANSAL, Chandigarh