M A I L B A G

Need to thwart Pakistan’s designs

This refers to the editorial, “Threat from Al-Qaida” (Aug 14). India has been a victim of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism since the days of Punjab upheaval. So, the presence of Al Qaeda in India is not surprising.

More than concentrating on any particular terror group, India must adopt a comprehensive anti-terror strategy to thwart the evil designs of neighbouring state. Al Qaeda has no nobler motives and its aims are not dissimilar to LeT or JeM or HuM or for that matter any group that kills innocents.

The West might have Qaida-fixation but the Indian agencies know who is the real threat. Instead of expecting the West to address our concerns with our neighbour, India must fortify its own fences.

RAJIV BHALLA, Chandigarh

II

The world, particularly the Anglo-American block, will heave a huge sigh of relief that the diabolical bid to serially blow up 10 US-bound aircraft from London has been foiled by the timely intervention of the intelligence agencies and capture of seven suspects in Karachi and many others elsewhere. Yet, we must not forget that the intelligence agencies may not be as lucky every time in forestalling the evil designs of the terrorist groups.

If the wave of jihadi violence is not reversed in time through well-planned effective international steps covering all regions — including countries like Pakistan which is one of the hotbeds of Muslim terrorism — the ongoing game of hatred may well get out of hand and take the dreadful dimensions of the crusades involving death and destruction on a scale unheard of in human history.

Wg-Cmdr S.C. KAPOOR (retd), Noida

III

The recent bomb threats should motivate all the countries to join hands and unitedly fight terror, and, if need be, stand up against Pakistan from where most terrorists are emerging, spreading and operating. Time alone will tell whether Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is actually helpless in curbing jihadi terror or is feigning helplessness.

OMAR LUTHER KING, New Delhi

IV

The recent events and surveys show interesting light on the psyche of those perpetrating terrorism in the name of religion. As the UK survey shows that men under 24 and who are educated are more likely to be aggressive and supportive of  terrorist activities. This shows that religious terrorism does not survive on uneducated people.

Secondly, in a democratic non-Islamic set up, sections of Muslims yearn to have sharia implemented. Let the British government implement sharia and declare that all the Muslims accused would be handed over punishment according to provisions of sharia only.

Thirdly, the recent foiled attempt for mid-air terrorism is linked to the people of Pakistani origin. Apart from India, everywhere Pakistan is linked to terrorism in one way or other.

UDITA AGRAWAL, New Delhi

Law unto themselves

Please refer to the news-item, “ISI has overstepped all limits: The Dawn” (July 24). It is a hard reality that countries which practice primitive democracies, shall I say, pseudo, the intelligence agencies of these countries have become a law unto themselves. They operate outside the law, rule of law, the constitutional framework, parliamentary committees and even the Cabinet.

Pakistan’s ISI and MI are one such example. But Israel’s Mossad is no better which has been committing extra-judicial murders of Palestinians and other imagined, non-indicted enemies of the State on foreign and sovereign soils. It would have been a different mater if Mossad had committed such violent acts in Third World countries, but to have got away with such blatant acts of terror committed in France, and Great Britain, both members of UN Security Council, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Norway and Holland, just shows the anti-Islamic feelings of these countries and how strong is the support for Israel, a religious state.

In India too the intelligence agencies, RAW, IB, intelligence collecting networks of the Finance Ministry, Home Ministry’s BSF, CRPF, ITBP and others are simply out of the purview of the parliamentary committees. These agencies have no transparency or accountability. They have billions of rupees as secret service funds over which there is no auditing control, despite the highest constitutional provision which exempts no government body from such oversight.

When all this takes place under our very nose how can we take a vicarious pleasure in accusing Pakistan alone? The question is if Pakistan is bad are we any better?

SIMRANJIT SINGH MANN, President, Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), Quilla  S. Harnam Singh

When power plays truant Though the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam has been playing a game of hide and seek with the residents of Ambala Cantonment, particularly the outer parts of Subhash Colony and its neighbourhood, throughout this summer, August 13 witnessed the worst pattern in the cutting off of the electric supply. After about every 15 minutes, power supply was disrupted for periods ranging between 40 and 120 minutes each. From about 4.30 pm to 11.30 pm, the power supply played truant for full seven hours. The affected residents complained at their respective complaint centres several times but in vain. The staff on duty took no remedial measures. Such anarchic behaviour on their part is deplorable. The authorities concerned should immediately take remedial measures and set things right in this crucial sector. K. B. PARWAZ,  Ambala Cantonment