The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Luckily, India too has many such cards at its disposal, the most effective being the Indus Water Treaty. By abandoning the Treaty, we could turn Pakistan from an oasis of green pastures into a dry wasteland in no time. If India must talk to General Musharraf, he should at least be told in no uncertain terms that we reserve the right to abrogate our commitment to the Treaty if all other options fail.

RANDHIR SINGH BAINS, UK

AN I-DAY GIFT: Partition uprooted 17 million Punjabis in 1947. Most of them are dead but the survivors yearn to visit the places of their birth where they spent their early life. It is almost impossible for these persons to get a visa for this purpose. I appeal to the Prime Minister of India and the Chief Executive of Pakistan to help them.

Arrangements may be made at the Wahga border to issue permits for a week for persons aged 60 years and above who wish to visit their pre-47 homes in either country. This humanitarian gesture will earn the gratitude of thousands. Let this be an Independence Day gift (14-15- August, 2001) by these two leaders to persons who paid a very heavy price for Independence.

AMARJIT SINGH HAJER, Mansa

ECONOMIC COMPULSIONS: The Pakistani economy is a shambles. The foreign debt of Pakistan is $37 billion (the country has $1 billion forex reserves). Its GDP growth is languishing at around 3.25 per cent. Its rupee has been devalued by over 13 per cent each year and the private sector debt has grown sharply from $ 400 million last year to nearly $ 1.3 billion this year. It’s not a debt but a death-trap around the General’s neck.

Talking to New Delhi and reducing tension on the border will roll back international pressure, hasten the process of rescheduling of loans and elicit greater inputs from the West.

S.S. JAIN, Chandigarh

MINDLESS GAMBLING: The Vajpayee Government seems to have developed a curious penchant for “mindless gambling” — bus diplomacy, unilateral ceasefire, looking to some militant outfits to play the role of an intermediary bypassing the elected state government etc. So far the gambling exercise seems to have misfired.

Let us hope this time Mr Vajpayee would play his cards with utmost caution and tact. He would be committing political harakiri if, somehow, he re-enacts his earlier “flop show”.

TARA CHAND, Ambota

A POSSIBLE AGENDA: I suggest the following points can be discussed with General Musharraf.

Till the UN comes out with an order asking Pakistan to vacate occupied Kashmir and hand it over to India, we should accept the Line of Control as the international border.

We should create a 5 km belt as the no-man’s-land on the entire border.

India and Pakistan should sign a “No War Pact” for the coming 25 years.

Pakistan should stop helping terrorists and separatists on this side of the border with immediate effect.

The militants and separatists must be given re-entry into the mainstream.

Article 370 of the Constitution must be written off and Kashmir should be open for all Indians and similarly Kashmiris should have the option to settle in any part of India.

DALIP SINGH WASAN, Patiala

EXPECTATION OF PLEBISCITE: Pakistan’s game plan, from Jinnah’s time, has been the same: (a) accept what you get (b) consolidate it (c) go on asking for more and more (d) defy democratic/ civilised principles (e) use coercion and (f) keep advancing.

India’s response has also been the same: (a) yield, believing this is the last concession (b) neglect what is left (c) succumb to further demands (d) neglect public opinion even as we are the largest democracy (e) become insensitive to human sufferings when subjected to human rights violation and torture (f) invite the enemy closer to the chest and (g) fail to expose Pakistan hypocrisy on plebiscite.

P.C. DESHMUKH, Tucker

A MINDSET PROBLEM: The biggest hurdle to a durable peace with Pakistanis is their mindset steeped in the bygone eras of kingdoms and empires, little realising that the times have undergone a sea change. We must not forget that friendly relations between the two countries will be a boon for all of us in the subcontinent.

S.C. KAPOOR, Noida

INDUS WATER TREATY: Pakistan should abandon its attitude of hostility — Kashmir or no Kashmir. And if that does not happen, the Indian side will be at liberty to rescind the Indus Water Treaty . Thereafter only that much water will flow across the border which India cannot make use of.

K.L.NAOTAY, Shimla

LENIENCY DOESN’T PAY: It is the leniency and soft-peddling of the India government towards Pakistan which has delayed a solution to the vexed Kashmir problem. It has committed another blunder by inviting General Musharraf for talks.

D. P. JINDAL, Mandi Gobindgarh

Ayurvedic drugs
In “Chandigarh Calling” (May 14) Sentinel has presented a very optimistic picture of the Punjab Ayurvedic Department. Is this based on Sentinel’s own information or is it at the instance of the P.C.S. officer mentioned in the column, who may have painted a rosy picture of the department and indulged in self-praise?
The project of ayurvedic drug testing, if at all approved by the central government, will become another institution for corruption instead of benefiting the needy.
The claim that the department has supplied sufficient medicines to each dispensary is wrong. Is the supply of medicines worth Rs 1,500 by the department and worth Rs 500 by the Central Pharmacy, Patiala, to each dispensary in a year sufficient in the eyes of Sentinel or his PCS friend?
The plan of allocation of Rs 50,000 to each dispensary will again help corrupt official machinery pocket commissions. Only one per cent of this allocation will reach the real destination. Moreover, this plan is yet to be sanctioned. Why all this praise?
The Panchkarma unit will be a futile exercise as there is no experienced doctor with the department who could perform Panchkarma. Only one or two doctors have taken training, that too for three to six months. Will these doctors be able to perform Panchkarma?
Dr NARDEV SINGH, Chhoti Mansa

Balancing power

In the article “Balancing power and accountability” Mr Hari Jaisingh (May 25) says that the tragedy of Indian democracy lies in the fact that rogues and scoundrels, howsoever sophisticated, continue to thrive, whereas honest and clean persons have no place in the system. This does sound true in certain cases but certainly not in all cases.

Our democracy does not become rotten because certain persons like Jayalalitha have occupied the throne of power. The fact is that our democracy should not be called rotten because a totten leader has occupied the throne, any more than a girl is a prostitute because she has a lover.

True, criminals and mafia leaders and their collaborators do acquire general acceptability and respectability. But this does not make our democracy obnoxious or perverted. In West Bengal, we see that the verdict given by the people is more real. In this respect, I believe that Governor Fatima Beevi’s verdict — is not only cautious but also grateful.

HANS RAJ JAIN, Moga

VICTIMISING RIVALS: Ms Jayalalitha is a shrewd leader and polished politician and in spite of her huge wealth amassed by her alleged acts of corruption, she swept the poll. Our leaders in power invariably resort to victimising their political rivals, which leads to the sympathy wave in favour of the victims. Most of the leaders have amassed unlimited wealth by their misdeeds and they use the same openly in various ways to keep them in power or achieve power.

GOPI CHAND, Hiaranwali (Fazilka)

CORRUPTION IS NO ISSUE: Accountability is a thing of the past. Politicians interpret democracy according to their own political convenience. They believe democracy is a licence for them to do anything they like with disregard to rules and regulations and without any accountability to anyone. That is why bandits like Phoolan Devi can become MPs and the corrupt like Ms Jayalalitha occupy the CM’s chair. So corruption seems to have ceased to be an issue in public life. Only God can save our country.

TARSEM SINGH BUMRAH, Batala