Letters: Bringing back tolerance

With reference to the report, "Is tolerance, acceptance of dissent on the wane, asks President" (October 20), President Pranab Mukherjee has rightly expressed concern. The murders of rationalists, the opposition to Pakistani ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali's concert in Mumbai and the lynching of Mohammad Akhlaq for allegedly storing beef in his house in Uttar Pradesh confirm the atmosphere of intolerance prevailing in the country.

In the 17 months that the Narendra Modi-led government has been in office, the country has witnessed phenomena such as love jihad, ghar wapsi (conversion to Hinduism), vandalism of churches, ban on eating beef etc - all the handiwork of fundamentalists. Long-cherished principles of secularism, diversity and cultural pluralism are at stake.

The Prime Minister's selective reticence and half-hearted condemnations of these incidents have failed to contain the growing intolerance. In such a situation, the President's appeal to the people of the country to be tolerant should be reciprocated.

Buddhadev Nandi, Bankura

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