Sir — This refers to the editorial, “Below-the-belt attack” (April 14). Whether one likes it or not, Mr Narendra Modi is no longer an individual, but has become an institution. He is responsible for the rejuvenation of the Bharatiya Janata Party, especially in States where the organisation had a nominal presence, if at all.
I agree that criticising Mr Modi for supposedly neglecting his wife is hitting below the belt. A few examples from history will be in order. About 2,500 years ago, Gautama left his young wife and infant son to become a mendicant — to be later called Gautama Buddha. Mahatma Gandhi became the father of the Indian nation but was a poor father to his eldest son, Harilal, who rebelled.
Similarly, in the early years of the 20th century, Pandit Gopabandhu Das left behind his ailing son and went off to distribute relief material to the flood-affected people of Odisha. People understand Gandhi and Das for these acts and do not condemn them. They consider it to be more of a sacrifice than a dereliction of duty. Why should the situation then be any different in Mr Modi’s caseIJ