No tears need to be shed for the death of secularism in India for it has come to mean victimising the majority community and promoting a feeling of alienation among the minorities ("Secular Nemesis", April 8). What we need is an inclusive enlightened type of secularism based on the model set up by many liberal democracies of the world that inculcates a patriotic fervour and is conducive to social harmony. But this would be possible only if our politicians shunned their narrow and selfish attitudes for the greater good of the country.

Wing Commander S.C. Kapoor, Noida

Over the past few years, Indian secularism has lost its substance and what remains is its trappings, resulting in an increasing alienation of minorities and growing polarisation of society. It is time to realise that religion is man's creation and God does not aspire for abodes like temples, mosques and churches built over corpses.

K.S. Thampi, Chennai

The adage that it is better to have a clever enemy than a foolish friend applies to our secular country. It is better to have political parties like the BJP, Shiv Sena and the Muslim League which have an open agenda than those political parties which keep them under wraps.

Nandita Thakur, on e-mail

One religion is tyrannical and two religions would try to cut each other's throat, said Voltaire. There can be nothing more injurious to the soul of our nation than conflicts borne of religious intolerance. Moral values should be directed only by reason and religion should be an aesthetic search for sanctity and eternal wisdom.

H.L. Shishoo, on e-mail

How can secularism die if it never existed in its true form in India? In fact, all communities will live in harmony if we accept that dual-faced secularism is dead, but then the politicians will be thrown out of work.

Dr Rajiv Chopra, Dehradun

If your article wanted us to believe that the Gujarat riots exposed the true face of India, the genesis cannot be explained away with adjectives of selective indignation at the failings of the Congress party. The anger also has to be directed at the current Government. The BJP chief minister in Gujarat formed bands of thugs to riot and murder. But just as Praveen Togadia does not represent Hindus and the Imam does not speak for all Muslims, these thugs too do not represent the face of a majority whose tolerance has snapped.

Uday Turaga, Pennsylvania

The sort of secularism practised in India should have died a long time ago. The Nehruvian policy of secularism distorted the word to mean a state that is partisan to the minority religions at the cost of the majority religion. It is due to these interpretations that there is so much discontent in society today and an otherwise peace-loving Hindu is turning militant. It's time Indians were treated as just that and not as minorities or majorities.

Amul M. Mittal, Delhi

Even though a key principle of independent India is in danger of being trampled upon by the forces of communalism, I do not entirely agree with the dismal picture painted in the cover story. Secularism was not a brainchild of leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru. It is deeply ingrained in our national culture. Our leaders simply identified it and tried to strengthen it by institutionalising it. Whether it is the politics of caste or communalism, the rot is at the top, not in the layers below.

Subhajit Basu, on e-mail

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