Former Union Minister and Congress leader P. Chidambaram has said that majoritarianism is the biggest enemy of the country. He was here on Wednesday to release a commemorative volume on E. Ahmed, former Union Minister of State for External Affairs.
Mr. Chidambaram recalled that Ahmed too was concerned that majoritarianism would crush the country. He was worried about the spread of communalism in India in his later years. The Congress leader said not only Indians, but those in other countries too were concerned about it.
Mr. Chidambaram said he was asked by people when he travelled abroad if Muslims, Christians, those who spoke a language other than Hindi, and those who were poor and Dalits be excluded from India.
Mr. Chidambaram claimed that these days, even if a Muslim went to witness the Garba dance in Gujarat and in Madhya Pradesh, if he was a just spectator and bystander, he was being dragged and beaten up. The poison of communalism was being spread by those who rule the country, and people must stand united in defying and defeating that kind of poison.
“The voices of sanity, the voices of humanity, are being suppressed today. We cannot allow this suppression. We cannot be timid, we cannot be afraid. We must speak out boldly. We must be brave. We must fight back so that the voices of sanity and humanity are heard once again all throughout the country. If we remain timid, silent or show any fear, extremist organisations will take up the cause,” he said.
Panakkad Syed Sadikali Shihab Thangal, Indian Union Muslim League State president; K. Sudhakaran, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president, and IUML leaders were present.
