Terrorism as the core issue

THIS has a reference to Mr Hari Jaisingh’s article, “Terrorism, not Kashmir, is the issue”, published on October 1. I disagree with the view that without America’s cooperation success in eliminating terrorism in India cannot be achieved. As a matter of fact, the population and activities of terrorists in India have increased due to the fundamental problem of Kashmir.

The tragedy of the situation is that we Indians have become habitual to find solutions of almost all our problems with the aid of outside agencies which have their own vested interests to serve. We should not see terrorism only in the case of Kashmir. It has several branches in several forms. The common citizen looks at terrorism only in the context of killing of innocent people by the terrorist groups in India. But these groups, with the aid of outside and inside agencies, have been playing destructive roles in disintegrating the whole country in various ways.

The country is plagued with several problems which are posing a great threat to our internal security. The main question here is: despite superb intelligence and thundering armed forces, as often claimed by the Government of India, why have the terrorist groups of Islamic hue succeeded in India? What are the internal forces in the country backing them? Our thinkers and patriots have totally ignored these fundamental questions. On other hand, our disgruntled politicians in order to make political capital out of the situation misguide the masses over real issues.

It will be useless to depend on any external force for the solution of the problem of terrorism. Past experience shows that America and the Americans played a dual role in the case of India. The economic sanctions imposed by America on India is a clear indicator of their attitude towards us. Most of the Pakistani militants are trained in America.

The Government of India has to make double efforts to eliminate terrorist groups inside the country and outside it. It should not depend on any external force. It is India’s own battle, and has to be won by itself only.

R.K. BALLEY
New Delhi

Global problem: Firstly Pakistan incited terrorism in our Punjab and thereafter in Jammu and Kashmir, and the world remained a mute spectator throughout. Now terrorism has spread its demonic fangs in most parts of the world. The problem of terrorism cannot be viewed in isolation. For battling against the menace of militancy and terrorism the author rightly asserts: “The priority in this regard has to be total elimination of the training camps being run under the sponsorship of Pakistan and Bin Laden.”

The delay in combating terrorism and militancy will further vex the problem. One country’s problem is not only that country’s problem. It is every nation’s problem — a global problem. Even Pakistan, professed to be one of the big perpetrators of terrorism in the world, is facing this malaise in its own major towns and cities. It is so because terrorism begets and breeds terrorism.

A fresh threat of mercenaries and militants from Pakistan to cross over to our side of the Line of Control (LoC) on October 4, 1999, must be a matter of serious concern for the forces of democracy and peace in the world, particularly in India. This poses a big question for the authorities in Pakistan. Never before in history the people or organisations in India have threatened Pakistan like this.

We shall have to fight terrorism tooth and nail if we want to make our earth a fit place to live. The time has come to fight terrorism and militancy jointly all over the world. For this, a joint working-group of like-minded nations can achieve tangible results.

IQBAL SINGH
Bijhari (Hamirpur)

Plight of East Timor

I read the write-up “What went wrong in East Timor” by Mr S.P. Seth (October I) with interest. East Timor, the tiny Indonesian province, is currently engaging the attention of the UN to restore peace, as also to help its people in achieving their goal of freedom.

Having voted overwhelmingly — nearly 80 per cent — for transition towards independence in a UN-sponsored “popular consultation” on August 30, the people of East Timor have had to suffer violence, killings and destruction at the hands of pro-Indonesia militiamen.

Thousands of the starving East Timorese refugees, who had fled their homes, following excessive violence and atrocities unleashed by the Indonesian military and the pro-Jakarta militia in this tiny spot on earth, do not seem to be thwarted in their struggle for nothing less than total sovereignty.

Precise figures of the East Timorese killed, displaced and forcibly “re-located” across the border in West Timor, will be known only after the multinational force, under the Australian command, successfully overcomes the current “resistance from those unwilling to see the territory slip out of Indonesia’s grasp”.

According to conservative estimates, at least one in every five of the 4.5 lakh eligible voters of East Timor had opted for continued association with Indonesia.

After Portugal, the former colonial masters of East Timor, made a hasty retreat from that half-island in the Indonesian archipelago in the mid-1970s, Jakarta was quick to invade and forcibly annex East Timor with the tacit concurrence of America, because the USA was not ready to risk the control of Indonesian archipelago falling into the hands of a communist regime. Thus, the Timor coast has been used by the US nuclear submarines travelling between the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean.

However, the reign of terror let loose by the Indonesian army, which has a decisive say in domestic politics, antagonised the vast majority of East Timorese. Hence the current upsurge for “nothing less than total sovereignty”.

DEEPAK TANDON
Panchkula

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Village cries for link road

Village Kirti in Kumarsain tehsil, Shimla district, with a population of about 800, is one of the few jinxed villages crying for link road for the past several years. Both the Congress and the BJP in their election manifestos had promised to provide a link road to every village in the state, but Kirti continues to suffer neglect.

Some time back a survey was done to provide a link from the horticulture road, but the proposal got bogged down due to a court case, and when the final verdict was pronounced the Congress government developed cold feet perhaps due to various pulls from vested interests.

About the same time another proposal was mooted to connect Kirti with Nog, a point on NH-1 which was to cover another four or five villages en route. A board is a moot testimony to this fact which prominently says: “Nog/ Kirti road-22 km”. A stretch of 10 km — nearly half of the length — has already been completed, but further work is held up due to lack of political will.

Thus Kirtiwalas, even after 52 years of Independence, look wistfully towards vehicles plying on roads at a distance. If a person falls ill, he has to be carried upto the road-head over a rocky terrain either on a charpoy or rolled into a blanket — its two ends tied to a bamboo pole — the same primitive method which our forefathers adopted in the days of yore. A little slip will send the patient and the carriers hurtling down the precipice to ultimate doom.

During the last Assembly elections the villagers decided not to exercise their franchise as a matter of protest due to the indifferent attitude of the government to their legitimate demand. May be they failed to move politicians.

Both Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal and Minister for PWD Mohinder Singh have promised to get the work on the remaining portion of the link road speeded up. What is needed is the political will, which has been sadly lacking all along, to get the work geared up. The Minister’s assurance has certainly kindled hope and justice is on the side of Kirtiwalas. But will the Minister redeem his pledge?

T.C. MEHTA
Kumarsain (Shimla Hills)