Sir— This refers to the editorial, “Was it worth it?” (November 08). I thought, in our country, we have two national anniversaries that provide unquestionable occasions for joy and celebrations: Independence and Republic Day — virtually all other festivity is religion-linked.
Now, probably unique to this country are politically-generated black days: June 25, 1975, when the Emergency was imposed and what is now being flayed in some sections today ‘one-year after demonetisation’.
There is a common link — both ‘actions’ were and are hailed by the Government of the day. Neither contention was lapped up on the people, but the latter has been accepted in some quarters. Emergency is now accepted as a national shame, the jury is still “out” on November 8, 2016. But it was the common citizen who is the worst hit. How the “celebration versus condemnation” will play out remains to be seen, one that might ‘sting’ beyond Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.