Five former chiefs of staff and several other veterans have written an open letter to the President expressing concern about the implications that hate speeches and genocide calls hold for national security, warning that any breach of peace and harmony within the nation would “embolden inimical external forces”.

The letter, sent on Friday, apprehends a threat to the social fabric of the country.

Copies have been sent to the Chief Justice of India, Vice-President, Prime Minister, Lok Sabha Speaker, defence and home ministers, all political party chiefs and the three service chiefs, besides the national security adviser.

The signatories include four former chiefs of naval staff — Admirals L. Ramdas, Vishnu Bhagwat, Arun Prakash and R.K. Dhowan — a former chief of air staff, Air Chief Marshal S.P. Tyagi; several senior veterans, Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson Rajmohan Gandhi and many retired bureaucrats and civil society activists.

Referring to the Dharma Sansad (religious parliament) in Haridwar and a meeting in Delhi where calls were given to establish a “Hindu Rashtra” and pick up weapons to kill Muslims, the signatories have called for urgent action against those who made such provocative statements.

“We cannot allow such incitement to violence together with public expressions of hate — which not only constitute serious breaches of internal security, but which could also tear apart the social fabric of our nation,” the letter says, underscoring the signatories’ disgust at some of the speakers urging the uniformed services to join the proposed genocide.

“In view of the current situation on our borders, any breach of peace and harmony within the nation will embolden inimical external forces. The unity and cohesiveness of our men and women in uniform, including the CAPFs (central armed police forces) and police forces, will be seriously affected by allowing such blatant calls for violence against one or the other community in our diverse and plural society,” the letter adds.

Underlining that the Constitution provides for the free practice of diverse religions, the veterans have said: “We urge you, Mr President and Mr Prime Minister, to take immediate steps to curb such attempts, and urge you to condemn such incitement to violence in no uncertain terms.”

In the week since videos of the calls for genocide surfaced, no one in the government has said a word against these hate speeches. Only one religious leader seen spewing venom in the videos has been arrested, by police from Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh, while cases have been registered and notices issued to a few others after seven days had passed since the events.

The veterans and other signatories to the letter have urged the leaders of all political parties to condemn the calls for a genocide of Muslims. “They must restrain their own cadres and thereby set examples of their commitment to Secularism, Fraternity and Justice for all,” the letter says.