An open letter signed by 178 Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore (IIMB) and five Indian Institute Management-Ahmedabad (IIMA) students, staff, and faculty has reminded the Prime Minister regarding pressing issues of hate speech and vandalism in recent days, making as plea to “lead us towards a more tolerant society, in keeping with our country’s multi-cultural ethos and history.”
Asking Narendra Modi and BJP’s elected members “to preserve the culture of tolerance and diversity that defines our great nation”, the letter states, “Hate speeches and calls for violence against communities based on religion/caste identities is unacceptable.”
The letter says, “Our Constitution gives us the right to practice our religion with dignity – without fear, without shame. There is a sense of fear in our country now – places of worship, including churches in recent days, are being vandalised, and there have been calls to take arms against our Muslim brothers and sisters. All of this is carried out with impunity and without any fear of due process.”
“We expect our leaders to safeguard our Constitutional rights. We expect our leaders to ensure safety and security for every Indian citizen. We expect our leaders to motivate us to be human and look beyond differences based on caste, religion, language, and other identities”, the letter insists.
It regrets, “Your silence on the rising intolerance in our country is disheartening to all of us who value the multicultural fabric of our country. Your silence emboldens the hate-filled voices and threatens the unity and integrity of our country.”
Telling him to “stand firm against forces that seek to divide us”, the letter says, “We ask your leadership to turn our minds and hearts, as a nation, away from inciting hatred against our people. We believe that a society can focus on creativity, innovation, and growth, or society can create divisions within itself. We want to build an India that stands as an exemplar of inclusiveness and diversity in the world.”
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So be it. And fully endorse.
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