The drive against proxy war: India in a Catch-22 situation

This refers to Mr Hari Jaisingh’s article “The drive against proxy war: India in a Catch-22 situation” (May 31). The proxy war let loose by Pakistan against our country has been for far too long with us and we have all along been on the receiving end with all its horrors.

There has been an endless chain of bloody incidents, perpetrated on our people and institutions not only in Jammu and Kashmir but also in other parts of the country. There has been a continuous and ceaseless campaign of pushing trained terrorists into our side of the border to kill and to commit terrorist acts.

These highly motivated desperados have enacted bloody and horrific scenes one after the other causing death and destruction and untold misery to our people. There is a definite design behind this dreaded campaign — to somehow annex Kashmir and humble India.

Can we allow them to continue with their devilish designs? Have we prepared some superior or even matching strategy to meet the challenge and to make their mischief to recoil on them? Has our response so far had any effect?

Cross-border terrorism launched by them is gaining momentum with regular supplies of men and material from the terrorist training camps and madarsas dotted all along the border and inside the occupied Kashmir.

The criticality of the situation demands that we shed the soft state impression and rise to the occasion by adopting a really proactive policy to blunt the strategy of the enemy. A government headed by a crafty general across the border who is seething with a hidden sense of revenge for the humility suffered at our hands in his Kargil misadventure (which is believed to be his brainchild) cannot and should not be trusted. His attempts of disintegrating this country have to be foiled.

Our government will have to go beyond the oft-repeated rhetoric of our leaders and their words will have to be backed up with solid, sustained and retaliatory action to beat back the misadventurists. We must tell them in the language they understand that we mean business and we must tell them in unequivocal terms that Kashmir is ours and will remain ours whatever the cost.

Let the clear signals go to the other side that we are determined in our resolve and stand united to defend every inch of our sacred territory.

M. R. GUPTA, Lehragaga (Sangrur)

REPORTING THE TRUTH: There are many like Mr Hari Jaisingh in the print media who can dare to call a spade a spade and report the truth unbiased and unaltered. You did very well to remind Mr Advani, ‘his bragging to resign’, if Chapnari massacre was repeated. It is 3½ years and 35 major massacres since then (including the attack on Parliament) and the thought of resigning has not crossed his mind.

What is the meaning of his pro-active policy? Are these only words to befool the nation which is as much fed up with Pak-sponsored terrorism as with the empty rhetoric of our weak-kneed and coward leaders. You have to fight your own wars and take your own decisions. How long do you expect others like America and Britain to take your decisions and fight your wars? They have their own calculations and scores to settle. A nation which aspires to be called great with longing for a ‘Security Council’ seat, has to learn to stand on its own legs and take firm decisions. Only the strong and the brave command the salutations of others.

When there is so much of difference between the words and deeds of our own worthy leaders, why blame Gen Musharraf?

He is no better or worse than our own stock. He is as big a hypocrite as our own leaders. May God give our leaders the strength to stand erect like Sardar Patel and take decisions.

Dr P. K. MITTAL, Abohar

RELEVANT POINTS: The Tribune Editor has rightly pulled up our political brigade for their bragging and unwarranted utterances. Apart from the options available to India, he has raised very relevant points that India could not be compared with the USA for initiating action against obstinate Pakistan and reversal of alienation of people of Kashmir. In such a situation, war is no answer to the problem of cross-border terrorism.

Even if we repeat 1971, where is the guarantee that violence in Kashmir would end? With the present military might, we cannot ensure a decisive war with Pakistan. Hence we are left with very limited viable options like bleeding Pakistan economically by exerting continued pressure on their defence, raising impediments along IB and LoC to check infiltration and use of long-range weapons to target militants’ concentrations.

COL KULDIP SINGH GREWAL (Retd), Patiala

ACTION, NOT SPEECHES: Indians are being fed up with the utterances made by the top leadership of the BJP and their superfluous dependence on the USA. There is no denying that India is capable of repeating the 1971 success. But it requires brave action, not speeches which today’s leadership is known for. We should not desist from taking extreme steps as suggested in the write-up to organise a “naval nakabandi”.

We should also start a massive ground and air operation to flush out the terrorist hideouts in the upper reaches of Kupwara, Anantnag, Doda, Poonch and Rajouri districts.

RAJESH SHARMA, Jalandhar Cantt

ILLUSIONED TRIDEV: During the tenure of the present government, headed by Tridev —Vajpayee, Advani and George), India has been attacked many times in different parts of the country by terrorists, the so-called jehadis, operating from across the Line of Control.

The policy to contain proxy war is still not in sight. The policy has to be divised by higher echelons sitting in New Delhi keeping in mind that the honour of nation is not at stake.

The NDA Government’s credibility is diminishing day by day. Repeated rhetoric of our leaders has illusioned their ambitions.

We need not depend on others for support for defending our motherland. Words should be translated into action.

General Musharraf should be told in clear terms that injudicious actions of going nuclear offensive against India will leave no place for Pakistan on the world map.

BRIJ MOHAN MANN, Patiala

INTEGRAL PART: Who says Pakistan and the people of Jammu and Kashmir have not accepted Jammu and Kashmir as an integral part of India? In fact, they have not only accepted it principally but also have put it the same documentarily.

Keeping aside the secret document whereby Jammu and Kashmir acceded to India, in 1947, the Indus Water Treaty, 1960, between India and Pakistan regarding sharing the river waters of the Indus, the Jhelum and the Chenab, which originate from the Himalayas and pass through Jammu and Kashmir, is itself a conclusive evidence and admittance by Pakistan and the people of Jammu and Kashmir before the world over that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and that India has the legal right and exclusive ownership over its resources like the water of the rivers flowing through it.

Thus the Indus Water Treaty between India and Pakistan is a manifestation of admittance by Pakistan before the world regarding the sovereignty of India over the entire Jammu and Kashmir and its resources.