The reason is that young people such as I, have been brought up in the post-Partition era and do not identify with the older Hindus' feelings towards Muslims, which seems to be the vendetta of a generation that has lived through and endured the traumatic happenings of Partition. What does the youth feel about what is happening? Do they want to live in a country where society is defined by Hindu fundamentalists? I don't think so. They need to answer the following questions. People of the older generation in India are overlooking the views of the youth. The challenge confronting the nation today is not one of building a mosque or a temple, but that of re-building the nation itself. Were he to react in the manner of Rajiv Gandhi who had a penchant for dramatic action and counter-reaction, India would have been plunged into a much greater bloodbath.

Narasimha Rao's methods are much less likely to create any strong reactions in either community and are obviously calculated to put things in their proper perspective. The party leaders' current behaviour exposes their narrow mentality as well as their selfish motives.

If the bjp aims to be a national party, it must first learn to conduct itself in a more responsible manner. This alone will bring a sense of shame to their adversaries, and perhaps is also the only chance for an honourable as well as a lasting solution to the Ayodhya issue. Now is the time to use effective words and project composure, restraint and decency in the face of obduracy, obscurantism and bigotry. It is important for the Muslim leadership ('Hindu-Muslim Divide: How Deep?', January 31) to realise that this is not the time for senseless and irrational reactions.

Bloodbath by Ray Rao by Ray Rao