II

The Army Chief is fully justified in cautioning the government about the consequences of diluting the AFSPA. The Prime Minister should not promise any dilution of the Act as otherwise it would jeopardise the Army operations against terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast.

As a safeguard against any likely misuse of the AFSPA, necessary precautions can be justified, not the dilution of the Act itself. One odd incident should not be taken to blame the armed forces due to the peculiar situation in the valley; there could be an error of judgment for self-defence.

More than anything else, the government and the political parties must stop criminals and anti-national elements from entering into politics for narrow political gains. The soldiers of the India Army are behind the Army Chief and appreciate his deep concern for the armed forces and the nation’s safety, security and integrity.

Capt AMAR JEET KUMAR, Chandigarh

III

The Government of India’s move to dilute the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958, has surprised the masses. Everybody knows that only the Army could tackle the insurgency problem in Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and in the Northeast due to the powers under the AFSPA.

Efforts are on to revive terrorism and to intensify the Naxalite movement in Punjab. The state police many times in the past has failed to contain terrorism and inter-border infiltration. When terrorist groups and Naxalites are coming together, it is not advisable to dilute the AFSPA. No sensible person will support the Centre’s unwanted move.

S.K. GOYAL, Shimla

Octroi on power

Punjab is the only state where octroi is being collected on power from the consumers. The state’s power tariff rate is Rs 5.28 per unit — the second highest in the country. However, the people are not assured of quality power supply. As a result, the people are forced to cough up extra money on inverters and generators whose running cost is also very high.

Recently, the Apex Chamber of Commerce and Industry has urged the government to abolish octroi on power to give relief to the common man and industries.

S.C. DHALL, Zirakpur

Afzal Guru case

The death sentence awarded to Afzal Guru by the supreme court in the Parliament Attack Case is yet to be carried out. It may be called justice delayed but not justice denied. The same is being expected from Mohd Amir Ajmal Kasab’s case in the Mumbai terror case. Delay has been caused due to non-action on the part of the government.

Some stringent law should be enacted to prevent such delays in the future. The focus should be on carrying out capital punishment as soon as possible.

KSHITIJ GUPTA, Narwana

Mother’s milk

In his middle, “Milk of kindness” (June 24), P.C. Sharma has highlighted the importance not only of native wisdom which is becoming rare these days but also the importance of the mother’s milk for proper and balanced growth of the child.

Though the government and the medical fraternity have started enlightening the public about the nutritious qualities of the mother’s milk for the child, the present-day mothers prefer to feed the child through the bottle. Breast-feeding not only keeps the child immune from several diseases but also strengthens the bond between the mother and the child.

Young mothers must learn a lesson from this middle. Women of Mohan’s village who fed him with their milk must be honoured by the state government.