It is reported in several newspapers today ( e.g. Times of India, p.15) that a young woman from Mizoram, Rachel, who lives in Bangalore, was assaulted in a supermarket by two women, all because she requested them to refrain from jumping the queue at the billing counter.
Instead of heeding to this justified request, the two women first launched a verbal assault on Rachel, alleging that she was from China, not India, and that she should go back there, and that people like her were ruining the country.
They then abused and kicked Rachel. who suffered bruises, and threw a ketchup bottle at her.
Such disgraceful incidents greatly damage the unity of the country, and must be condemned by all right minded persons.
There is something else also happening in India, which is damaging its unity even more.
At the 7th annual National Committee for Minorities lecture, the eminent jurist, Fali Nariman, said :
" We have been hearing almost on daily basis the tirade by one or more individuals or groups against one or another section of citizens who belong to a religious minority. The criticism has been that the majority government at the Centre has done nothing to stop this tirade."
In my opinion all genuinely patriotic people must oppose this trend of bigotry and religious extremism, and ensure that India does not regress from a secular democracy to another Pakistan
