Dear Rahul Gandhi,
Why do you hate us Gujaratis so much? Is it because the people of Gujarat have consistently voted against your party in all elections in over two decades? That the last time a Congress leader was the Chief Minister of our state was in 1995?
Today while speaking in Assam you said that if Congress comes to power in the state you will increase the wage rate of tea workers. That’s great. But while making the promise, you said that to fund that extra wage rate, you will take money from Gujarati tea traders. Why this divisive politics, Rahul Gandhi? What harm have we done to you?
On one hand you claim that you want to ‘stop this hate’, but on other hand, you propagate this hate against Gujaratis.
And why specifically Gujaratis?
Is it because Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are Gujaratis? Has your hatred for these two men blinded you so much that you have started hating on an entire community?
And what has your party done for Gujarat, really?
Did you not gamble away Gujarat to save one Rajya Sabha seat of Ahmed Patel? You think Gujaratis have forgotten how Congress MLAs were vacationing in five star resorts in Bengaluru as the state was inundated with floods only because you wanted to send Ahmed Patel to Rajya Sabha? You kidnapped the Congress MLAs and took them away only so they do not ‘cross over’ to BJP. If you don’t trust your own MLAs, how do you expect people of Gujarat to put their faith in these people?
Sure, the BJP has its flaws too. But when the state was drowning, these leaders were out there. Not in a resort far away complaining about breakfast served to them. You let Gujaratis die because you wanted to save Ahmed Patel’s Rajya Sabha seat.
You think we would forget?
When Sabarmati Express train was set on fire in Godhra and Karsevaks were burnt live by a Muslim mob, violent communal riots broke out in the state. The situation at border was a little tensed because of the December 2001 Parliament attack by Pakistan-backed terrorists. The then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi reached out to three neighbouring states: Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. All three Congress ruled states. None of them sent help.
Gujaratis have not forgotten. Is that why you hate us?
Speaking of divisive politics and riots, you know who presided over the worst riots in Gujarat? Your leader Madhavsinh Solanki. Madhavsinh Solanki, the great manufacturer of caste divide, had applied the ‘KHAM’ (Kshatriya, Harijan, Adivasi, Muslim) theory in the 80s and presided over two of the worst caste based riots in Gujarat (which eventually graduated to communal riots).
Is that why you hate us, Rahul Gandhi?
Or is it because the businessmen you hate with all your might, Adani and Ambani, both are Gujaratis? Is it bothering you that two men, like many others, who have contributed to nation building way more than perhaps some of the people you are related to by law, are Gujaratis?
Why don’t you come down to Gujarat some day and have a chai pe charcha with me. Let me show you how we Gujaratis only know how to spread cheer, even if others hate us.
Till then, hate less, love more.
Regards,
Nirwa Mehta,
Gujarat.
