Letter to the Editor, Times of India

by K.N. Pandita, New Delhi

« Coexistence » – new vision

Dear Sir,

Facts of history can be interpreted variously  to suit ones point of view. The examples of a new vision of « coexistence » cited in Salaam Ganga (ToI Jan 8 Editorial) do support your view point.   However,  you could  have made your point more effective by a reference to the killing of 2000 innocent Pandits by Kashmiri « freedom fighters » in 1990 followed by five intermittent pogroms  till recent days, and the resultant ethnic cleansing of the entire minuscule religious minority of 300,000 in the only Muslim majority state of the Indian Union. You could have reinforced your argument by remarking that despite what befell the Pandits of Kashmir,  the Indian Hindu majority made no massive public protests, sections of India gullible press hushed up the story, Indian political leadership thought it sacrilege to speak of the grisly deeds and the Indian Muslims never felt it their moral responsibility to  open their mouth against the ghastly acts. Had you even hinted at that, it would have made your new theory of « coexistence » forceful and persuasive.