Winning an election is a part of the process in a democracy. But the ugly spectacle of violence in Tripura which has led to incidents such as statues of the leading lights of Communism being brought down or razed need to be condemned. The Bharatiya Janata Party must ensure that the democratic transition is peaceful. One is unable to understand why statues of historical importance should be targeted. Netas from the winning side need to exercise caution and control.
R. Ramamurthi,
Tirupati
The post-election violence and vandalism in Tripura, which includes targeting statues is totally unacceptable in a civilised democracy. Those who have won should understand that the CPI(M) was in power for 25 years not through any revolutionary means but through victory via the ballot box and using a certain ideological model. The Bharatiya Janata Party has a full five-year term to prove that its ideology is superior to that of the Left. Let it try and stay in power for another 50 years and so on in election after election. This is the path and the spirit of democracy. Citing similar incidents from the pages of history and attempting to draw a parallel to justify despicable acts must be condemned.
Victor Frank A.,
Chennai
Every ideology has its pros and cons. Hence, a healthy debate on the relevance of a particular political ideology should happen. However, the razing of statues of political thinkers reeks of arrogance and intolerance towards the opponents’ political mascots. The demolishing of a statue does not necessarily mean the end of the ideology proposed by that thinker. One must also keep in mind that there are many statues of Indian leaders across the globe. The Union government’s tough stance on this issue should be welcomed.
K.B. Dessai,
Fatorda, Goa