I completely agree with the view that Congress and the Communists have no locus standi when it comes to adopting a holier-than-thou posture on riots.
But then, what gives Kanchan Gupta, and the Sangh Parivar the authority to defend Gujarat riots?
In my opinion, nothing.
The fact is that across the political spectrum, leaders have demonstrated that they have no respect for human life, be it Hindu, Muslim, or Sikh.
The dead become a statistic for political games, a convenient tool to beat your opponent with.
There are people on both sides who exhort the common people in the name of religion, and motivate them such that people are willing to kill.
People who criticise another religion have no right to call themselves practitioners of a religion. They must ask themselves the question: Am I a practitioner of this religion? Do I even know the religion, let alone practise it?
The list of such people would include the Imams and Ulemas, the Sants of SGPC, and the Togadias, Singhals, Kishores and Modis of the Sangh parivar.
These people must first go back to the basics, correctly understand their religion, and then engage in dialogue with people of the other faiths.
