Apropos your cover story (The Midnight Surgery, Oct 13), the Indian army’s bold decision to conduct surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) to liquidate terror launchpads surely sends a strong message to Pakistan that crossborder terrorism sponsored by the Pakistani army and ISI will not be spared any more. Indian soldiers, in compliance with our prime minister’s promise of not letting the perpetrators of Uri attack off, have responded reciprocally by “inflicting significant casualties” on terrorists and their associates in their pre-emptive bids. The death of two Pakistani soldiers vindicates their army’s nexus with non-state. India has almost isolated Pakistan as a pariah state diplomatically in the international arena. The surgical strikes were of urgent need to teach a hard lesson to Pakistan by showing that we had the guts to fight with Pak-sponsored terrorism. India must conduct such operations on a regular basis whenever the situation demands to leave long-lasting effects on cross-border terrorism nurtured by Pakistan. All the civilised nations of the world must extend moral support to consolidate India’s fight with Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, which is now a global concern.
Buddhadev Nandi, Bishnupur
I am not a war-monger but I cannot help but feel good about India’s strikes. They were long overdue. Manmohan Singh’s policy of doing nothing actually encouraged Pakistan all along. At least this time India has shown it has the willingness to do something about an issue which has long been overlooked.
Dinesh Kumar, Chandigarh
Apropos Russia Unpacks A Matryoshka Doll For Pak, as far as foreign policy is concerned, Mr Modi has shown naivete. He has visited inconsequential countries beating drums and fulfilling his personal ambition of taking a free world tour. But as Russia conducts exercises with Pakistan, it shows that the naive PM has let slip an important ally. Making noises at the UN is OK, but Modi must show his real skill in managing old friendships before forging new ones.
D.K., On E-Mail
India responded to the terrorist attack on the army camp in Uri with a so called ‘surgical strike’. There are many versions afloat of what that meant, chief among them the opposing claims of India and Pakistan. India says a band of elite troops, with air support from choppers, went across the LoC and smashed camps that were launchpads for fidayeen attacks. There was specific intelligence, India claimed, that terrorists were preparing for another attack on its side. Pakistan, however, says all that happened was an escalation of the usual sporadic firing across the LoC. But its prime minister also spoke of “unprovoked military aggression”. Much now depends on what Pakistan’s army chief does to prove his country is a military match for India. But this is no time for triumphalism. Instead of rolling up their sleeves, the prime ministers of both countries should sit together at a table and work to reduce the tension. Meanwhile, the media on both sides should refrain from going ballistic on belligerence. War exacts a terrible price in death and long-term suffering. This should persuade Islamabad and New Delhi to speak peace, not war.
G. David Milton, Maruthancode
In the wake of the Uri attack, where was the need for Prime Minister Narendra Modi (The Gauntlet’s Shadow Across the Line, Oct 3) to challenge Pakistan to fight poverty, illiteracy and unemployment? Would any improvement in Pakistan’s socio-economics make it less provocative?
K.P. Rajan, Mumbai
The unrest in Kashmir and the prolonged curfews mean there is no intelligence gathering from the ground, making it easier for terrorists to operate. This is probably why the security forces could not prevent the Uri attack. But what is inexplicable is how the attackers could breach the fence at the Uri camp, just as they did in Pathankot.
P. Arihanth, Secunderabad
Among the casualties of Uri were adivasis, Dalits, Jats and Brahmins—soldiers all. Do their deaths bother us at all? But when one Rohit Vemula kills himself, thousands are made to mourn his death systematically.
J. Akshobhya, Mysore
Pakistan is ratcheting up tension in Kashmir and along the LoC to test India’s patience and will. Economic basket-case that it is, shouldn’t Pakistan rather bother about the common Pakistani? India and Pakistan were both born in 1947, but look at the trajectories the two countries have taken.
Meghana A., Shell Cove, NSW
We are unable to understand what’s happening in Kashmir. Governments have come and gone, but there is no change at all. We cannot let our soldiers down again and again. It’s military top brass and not politicians who should decide how to end these actions by non-state actors of Pakistan.
J.S. Acharya, Hyderabad
Apropos Game of Inception (Oct 3) by Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain, when it comes to admittance to the Security Council, China says India is not a nuclear power. So China should not take any action against India. Pakistan, on the other hand, says it will use nukes and is not worried about Indian nukes. And the wise cowards in the think-tanks of India keep saying we shouldn’t retaliate to terror let loose upon us by Pakistan because it has nukes. May I add that the writer of War is a Zero-Sum Game is unclear on his ideas on how to check Pak-sponsored terrorism. I suggest he read Blood Telegram by Gary J. Brass. If he’s already read it, he has learnt nothing from it.
Ghai, On E-Mail
I wish Lt Gen Hasnain were right, but he seems to have ignored one scenario. My fear is that Pakistan’s army chief, whose thinking process the learned general tried to make sense of, will stage a coup and remove prime minister Nawaz Sharif. Pakistan should be globally ostracised.
D.H., On E-Mail
Apropos War is a Zero-Sum Game, the idea that the Muslim identity of Pakistan unifies it is a fallacy. Its people identify themselves as Pakhtuns, Balochs and other ethnic groups rather than as Muslims. So what do the people of Kashmir really want when they demand azadi?
Aditya Mookerjee, Belgaum
Apropos ‘Hardening the Knuckle’ (Oct 3), the army must be given a free hand to deal with Pakistan with an iron hand.
M. Kumar, On E-Mail
Apropos The Eternal Return Of King Nobody (Sept 26), firstly, the legend of Maveli and Onam in Kerala is much different from the story of Vamanavathara in Sreemat Bhagawatam. Then, Onam and Vamana Jayanti do not usually happen on the same day. Onam celebrations are centered around the Thiruvonam star in the first month of the Malayalam era called chingom while Vamanavatharam is celebrated on the 12th day (Dwaadasi) of the waxing fortnight in the Sanskrit month Bhadra Pada. This year, anyway, it came on the penultimate day of Thiruvonam. Last year, Vamana Jayanti fell on September 24, which was not even in the month of Chingom. In the year ahead, it will be on September 3. Finally, let us not have any confusion that Onam celebrations have any connection with Vamanavtharam whatsoever.
P.C.K. Nambudiripad, Guruvayur
Amit Shah had waded into the Onam season with his Vamana Jayanti greetings rather unwittingly. Onam is a secular festival with even churches in the state of kerala celebrating it with fervour and gaiety. The festival has also managed to outgrow the myth rooted in the Dashavatara story in which Mahabali represents the ideal ruler and Mavelinadu (Kerala) a utopia. As the folk song goes, under the rule of Mahabali, every man was equal and happy. After Shah's tweet, with the power equation loaded in the favour of Vishnu’s Brahmin avatar, Vamana too managed a mention in the celebrations in some parts of Kerala.
J. Akshay, Bangalore
This is about Outlook’s story on how the biggest polluting states don’t feature in the NCRB green crimes list (Green Crimes, Oct 3). We humans are playing a dangerous game with nature and creating a terrible imbalance. As population increases, forest covers decrease, pushing animals out. Also, men slaughter more animals than their hunger would warrant, for selfish monetary reasons. Local and state authorities are also involved in the poaching of animals. Awareness programmes in villages and small towns about the necessity to protect forests and wildlife are the need of the hour.
Mahesh Kumar, Delhi
Apropos the opinion piece The Way To Poona (Oct 3), by Markandey Katju, let me confess that I fail to appreciate Justice Katju’s views, which are generally nothing short of cynical. However, his views on reservation are amazingly rational. Reservations, which were supposed to be the instruments of upliftment for the weaker sections of society, have now become instruments of vote-bank politics. The founding fathers of the Constitution debated the issue of reservation at great length and ultimately agreed on reservations in jobs for SCs and STs for a period of only ten years. It has been stretched far beyond that. Then the OBCs were brought under the reservation umbrella when former PM V.P. Singh suddenly implemented the Mandal Commission report in 1990 for serving his own political interests. Since then, more and more caste groups have come out in the open to demand reservation from parties in power, who often surrender to the violent agitations of these groups.
M.C. Joshi, Lucknow
I admire Justice Markandey Katju, but I do not agree with his reaction through the section ‘Muslim tangent’ in his article The Way To Poona. The thing to note is that the more we push the Indian Muslim community to the wall, the more inflexible and religious will they get. In India, just by redefining the Islamic code of conduct or superimposing failed laws, we will not be able to solve the perceived problems of the marginalised Muslim society. Another observation is that the sustained effort of our governments has brought them down to the lowest economic social strata of the country in just 60 years. The judiciary has also been blamed for this because the institution feels fit to take up the issue of change of Islamic laws but rarely delivers justice to them or initiates effective affirmative action to improve their situation. That’s why the insecure, sidelined masses seek grievance redressal through personal law boards and become more religious and introvert.
Abid Haleem, On E-Mail
This is in response to Rajeev Dhavan’s indignant column (Reform Thyself, Learned Judges, Sep 26) on the executive disciplining the judiciary. Dhavan’s article comes at a time when he himself had been reprimanded by the chief justice for intemperate language, when he appeared for the Sahara chief in a bail hearing case. While one broadly agrees with his column, it suffers from inconsistency. Last year, Dhavan was vociferously defending the collegium system of judicial appointments. Now, he has suddenly become a critic of it. His defence of appointments by a judicial commission, and antipathy of the NJAC, is without much logic. I felt it wasn’t proper for the SC bench to strike down a law passed by both houses of Parliament on the ground that the Union law minister is in the NJAC. The Constitution is clear that SC judges’ appointments will be done by the president of India in ‘consultation’ with the SC, and not in ‘concurrence’ with them.
K.C. Misra, On e-mail
I read with interest Prakash Singh’s column on the reform of our police forces (Flaw and Order, Sep 26). The Police Commission recorded in 1902 that the force was generally regarded as corrupt and oppressive. By 2016, we are seeing a much diminished force—it is blatantly used by politicians for use against rivals and to keep the populace under pressure. In fact, some cops, especially seniors, have to undergo a thorough relearning and unlearning—for example, to stop use postings as things to auction. Politicians have sold the new truth to the nation—that honesty is the worst policy. We should ensure that no police officer is appointed to any post after retirement. Promotions should be made judiciously—corrupt ministers can’t be astute judges of merit! The top has to be purged—the rest will fall in line.
J.N. Bhartiya, Hyderabad
Bhaichand Patel’s review of Raju Bharatan’s biography of Asha Bhonsle was a revealing read (Her Voice Has Sweetened Life, Sep 19). I am not sure if Bharatan has referred to a well-known episode from old Bollywood—how the musical sensation from the south, Vani Jayaram, had to quit Bombay for good after songs from Guddi were huge hits, and thus challenged the two reigning sisters’ monopoly. The only southern voice Bollywood had to perforce appreciate was that of the great Yesudas. His songs in Chitchor were indeed captivating.
Raj Ganesan, Secunderabad
This refers to Outlook’s cover story on the state of the judiciary in India, where so many judges are relatives of past justices (Scions of Themis And Zeus, Sep 19). Earlier, Indira Gandhi had a judiciary committed to her needs in the 1970s. The pendulum has swung the other way—now, after the Supreme Court has struck down the NJAC, India will be the only country where judges appoint judges. My own faith in the collegium system of appointment of higher judiciary was shattered when Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya was victimised for not recommending the name of Justice Altamas Kabir’s sister’s name for a high court justiceship.
Rajiv Chopra, Jammu
Apropos your thought-provoking cover story (This Land is Your Land, September 26), all I need to add is that India can improve the socio-economic status of its hoi polloi if the government unlocks for alternative use the lakhs of acres of unutilised land lying with various state-run enterprises. The central and state governments need to come up with an active plan of action and also be able to execute it. The PSUs too should try to put the land to better use in the interest of the country’s development. Research-based stories like this help the readers understand the problems of the country and work towards making a difference.
Jayanta Topadar, Dhemaji (Assam)
