[Reader-list] Crime and No Punishment: Malegaon Blast Accused Get a Respite

[Rakesh Iyer]

Kshamendra jee

The question is not of not having bias. As a human being, it is certainly
normal to have a bias. Shuddha jee is biased towards democracy, Pawan jee is
biased towards justice to Pandits and punishment of Yasin Malik, the BJP is
biased towards Hindutva way of life, and the Left is biased towards
anti-Americanism. (And I am particularly biased towards right to food, and
certainly Hindutva politics because of the ideology it espouses)

What is important is whether such a bias is justifiable, as Sen says, in the
promotion of freedoms and rights to people, which enhance their capabilities
and help them to lead their lives as they value. This is where the Hindutva
way of life must be condemned because it doesn't allow certain people to
lead their lives as they want (and here I am taking out secularists and
looking at the problem from the angle of minorities themselves). And this is
against human rights, as much as are the activities of the Taliban and the
terrorists who live in our own society, enjoy the very same rights as others
do, and yet don't allow other to enjoy those rights.

And to find out whether such a bias is justifiable or not, public discussion
is necessary. This is what allows all of us to decide for our own selves
what is justifiable and what is not. I condemn BJP and some of the harsh
measures they like to implement in various forms (like anti-terror laws)
specifically because they serve the objective of the terrorists themselves,
which is to restrict the rights of citizens and make them feel harassed and
deprived. That is not what we should give in to

Moreover, biases can also change with public discussion. My own bias for
pro-BJP was changed once I got to discuss about its policies with other
people. Before that, I thought one should be always nationalistic (something
like Vedavati jee is). Till I managed to discuss about the issues of course.


So what I wish to say is that, if someone can prove that BJP's actions which
I am suspicious of, are actually enhancing rights of citizens and their
freedoms, please go ahead and we may think about it certainly.

Regards

Rakesh