Lastly, the Indian strategists are required to rethink and chalk out a fresh long-term and short-term strategies in the changing world order. The use of force to gain national objectives has lost its potency in the nuclear age. New strategies to deal with such eventualities are required to be evolved. Knee-jerk reactions are passe. A proactive policy is the need of the hour. India has to fight its battles alone and India is capable of doing so.

Sqn Ldr KRISHAN SHARMA (retd), Panchkula

Fighting terrorism: Hari Jaisingh has rightly said in his article that “fighting terrorism requires a tough but honest approach”. Further, strong political will must be there to resolve the issue.

For five decades Pakistan leaders have kept the pot “boiling” on the Kashmir issue. It definitely reflects their single-minded approach on the issue throughout, irrespective of the ramifications i.e. killing of innocent citizens, military forces and terrorists or even hitting economic development.

As for the Indian leadership, which ever party was in power at the Centre, they suffered from ad-hocism. The Indian political system cannot be blamed for it. If it musters the courage to push Pakistan in a corner, and even today resolve to end cross-border terrorism, the USA along with its allies, will urge India to adopt a “cautious” approach. Our opposition political parties also join the same “band-wagon” and we never reach a consensus and even though Parliament House was the target of terrorism.

Whatever equipment or sophisticated weaponry is given to our security forces, it will simply be a wastage of money and lives and Indian security forces will always suffer from a “fallacy syndrome” and become demoralised.

As such in USA, India & Pakistan relations, Pakistan will always remain at advantage. It must also be borne in mind that the USA is not trust-worthy in the whole game.

It is a good suggestion by the worthy writer to keep the diplomats on their toes to inform the world leaders about what is what and who is what.

SATISH UMMAT, Chandigarh

Long-term policy: While an absence of national vision in our political leadership may account for our failure to evolve a long-term policy and strategy in our fight against cross-border terrorism, our excessive dependence on the US and UK response to our pleas has only complicated the issue. Of course after “September 11” the USA has waged a war against terrorism, but its fight against terrorism is not only selective, it is also rooted in the US administration’s blatant efforts to keep Pakistan in good humour. India must realise that in South Asia it is only in Pakistan that the USA can make a strong foothold and neutralise the fast growing Chinese and Russian influence in the region.

Naturally terrorism in J&K or for that matter in any part of the country may not concern the USA as it does us. We must learn to tackle it in our own way, without having to regret later, as we did in the case of the December attack on Parliament.

Though diplomatically, the American leadership should be more responsive to the Indian pleas and learn to accept the ground realities in Pakistan, it is for our leaders and policy-makers to fight the menace in a dynamic and forceful manner. While continuing to increase diplomatic pressure on Pakistan, we must adopt tough and ruthless measures against terrorists wherever they are found on our territory.

VED GULIANI, Hisar

A true picture: Hari Jaisingh has depicted a true picture of the dubious role being played by the USA and Pakistan. The recent massacre of 30 innocent civilians has disapproved the claims of General Pervez Musharraf.

Though Americans have their own compulsions, still it has now become pertinent for the USA to make whole-hearted efforts to impress over Pakistan that cross-border terrorism is required to be stopped forthwith. The present efforts of the USA are complacent one and do not conform the deteriorated situation being created by the ISI in Jammu and Kashmir.

Our government must streamline our own intelligence agencies to be more alert and vigilant. We must identify black sheep in our own country. The enemy would always spread terror. It is our duty to set our own house in order.