Death of a star

Sir ? I am a Kannadiga and a fanatical fan of Rajkumar since my childhood. I too am upset over his death. But that does not give me the licence to indulge in violence, arson and looting (?Mayhem in mourning?, April 14). The Karnataka police should have arrested the rowdies the day Rajkumar died. It is demoralizing for law-abiding citizens to see uniformed policemen being chased and beaten up mercilessly by anti-social elements. Perhaps there should be less political interference in the functioning of the police force. It needs to be said that a government which cannot maintain law and order has no moral right to continue in office. As for the media portrayal of the ?mayhem?, it is wrong to see all Kannadigas as rioters.

Yours faithfully,
Syed Tanveeruddin, Mysore

Sir ? The culture of celebrity-worship in the South alone does not explain the madness that followed Rajkumar?s death. It should be remembered that the actor had championed the cause of the Kannada language, and thereby fed the south Indian passion for maintaining a separate identity from the North. There are deep divisions among the south Indian states as well. It took decades for Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to cooperate on the capture of Veerappan, and the Cauvery water dispute between the two states continues to get more and more ugly. Such cultural chauvinism only takes the country backward. This is particularly unfortunate for the South, which is supposed to be much better off than north India in literacy and economic growth. The events following Rajkumar?s demise expose this problem.

Yours faithfully,
Govind Das Dujari, Calcutta

Sir ? The violence after Rajkumar?s death beggars explanation since the star did not die of medical negligence. His fans have sent out a message that could harm Karnataka?s economy. The outburst has caused five deaths and a lot of damage to public property. One wonders why the Karnataka police failed to control the situation. Both industry and public life have suffered as a result. It is regrettable that even today, Indians can spend so much passion on film stars to the neglect of more pertinent issues like education. One wishes Rajkumar?s fans had displayed a little of the restraint the star himself had shown when he was in Veerappan?s custody only a few years ago. That would have been a mark of true respect for their hero.

Yours faithfully,
Ganesh Sovani, Thane

Sir ? Rajkumar, a Kannadiga icon and a man of peace, has been given a violent farewell in Bangalore. On the other hand, the boorish Salman Khan, guilty of killing both man and animal, was given a hero?s welcome when he came out of jail. India?s projection as a knowledge hub does not match its irrational popular reactions. It would be unfair to blame the illiterate for this discrepancy; the urban elite are equally guilty. With such an image, India?s prospects of becoming a developed country by 2020 certainly look bleak.

Yours faithfully,
R.B. Easwaran, Chennai

Sir ? The pandemonium which broke out in Bangalore after Rajkumar?s death was appalling. Life in the city came to a standstill. People who had to go out needed to stick a photograph of the deceased star on the front of the car to pretend that they were rushing to take a last look at the icon. In the end, the common people were the most inconvenienced, and the public ?mourning? made a mockery of Rajkumar and the ideals he cherished.

Yours faithfully,
Aparajita Dasgupta, Calcutta

Sir ? A natural death after a fruitful life should have been followed by a quiet observance of the last rites. This, however, was not what Rajkumar?s so-called fans chose to give their icon. Now that the madness is over, one wonders what Rajkumar and his kind have done for society so as to evoke such a passionate response. While the police and their political bosses demonstrated their lack of will to check mass hysteria, the violence has proved that the public is essentially irrational and thoughtless.

Yours faithfully,
Joyeeta Dey, Calcutta

Sir ? The Karnataka government had plenty of warning by way of precedents (the deaths of MGR and N.T. Rama Rao), and public reaction to rumours of Rajkumar?s death a decade ago. It should have known how to deal with the outpouring of public grief. Perhaps disaster and crisis management studies should also include a look into the phenomenon of public reaction to the death of popular south Indian heroes. For now, the state government could build a memorial in honour of the star and try to preserve his legacy in the Kannada language and film industry.

Yours faithfully,
Sampath S. Chakravarti, Bangalore