L E T T E R S    T O    T H E    E D I T O R

Pak hand in glove with Hafiz Saeed

It is a matter of shame that Pakistan is still trying to save the 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Mohammad Saeed (“US move against LeT chief”, April 5). Saeed has been particularly active over the last few months as part of the ‘Defence of Pakistan Council’, an organisation which has held a series of demonstrations opposing resumption of NATO supplies and reconciliation with India.

Kasab has already admitted that the 26/11 perpetrators were trained by LeT in Pakistan and were actively associated with Saeed. What more evidence does Pakistan need to prosecute Saeed? The US move infact points to the lack of integrity in the Pakistani top brass.

ISI has played a major role in facilitating the activities of the terrorist and his release from the Lahore High Court on technical grounds.

It is strange to see how the Lahore High Court quashed the charges against Saeed. Inspite of him being a threat to peace, India, US and the global community should take firm steps to restrain Pak from misleading the world regarding its intention of dismantling the terror machinery in reality.  

HARPREET SANDHU, Ludhiana

Critical concerns

The Army Chief’s letter to the Prime Minister highlighted critical deficiencies in the battle-worthiness of our armed forces. It is irrefutably apparent that in the event of an external aggression we are grossly ill-prepared.

The separatists in Kashmir have not been reigned in. The continuing threat from China in their hidden agenda of “teaching India a lesson on Arunachal Pradesh” and from Pakistan in the form of occasional cross-border terrorist attacks haven’t diminished either.

In such an insecure environment, ignoring the Army Chief’s call will be nothing short of committing a strategic blunder. Noted scholar Leon Trotsky once said: “You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you”.

Even though war is dreadful, defeat is far worse. Why else would the major world powers - notably the US and China - invest so heavily in boosting their military strength?

Nehru remained dismissive of the armed forces. No wonder, his misplaced and impetuous idealism particularly during the 1948 Kashmir operations, resulted in the permanent fix that we find ourselves in today. Instead of learning a lesson from the fiasco, he continued to ignore modernisation of the Army until our ignominious defeat against the Chinese in 1962. On the diplomatic front, too, what had been won on the battle-field against Pakistan in 1965 and 1971 wars was lost on the negotiating table.

In the supreme interest of national security, it’s time our leaders and policy makers listened to the Army Chief.

GOVIND SINGH KHIMTA, Shimla

Mobilisation exercise

Army practices its drills and procedures known as mobilisation exercises on a routine basis and does not give more than 6 hours notice to a unit to be battle ready. To read more than that is totally infra dig and brings to fore how vested interests are bent upon tarnishing the patriotic character of the Army.

There is a well-defined chain of command and it is not the Army chief who commands the troops, it is the formation commanders down from the regional armies to the lowest unit. The nation can be rest assured that if there is any threat to its integrity it is only from those who spread such rumours.

Col MAHESH CHADHA (retd), Panchkula

II

We must not forget that in modern times, it is not the number of soldiers alone which decides the outcome of wars but the quality of latest sophisticated weapons which can ensure the victory of one nation over another. If our tanks have become "obsolete" and our infantry lacks night fighting capabilities, we must procure or produce such weapons and devices without further delay because we cannot afford to risk the security and defence of the country. Gen Singh has done a commendable job by informing the Prime Minister about the urgent requirement to address the "chinks in our armour".

RAJ BAHADUR YADAV, Fatehabad

                       Murderers in uniform 

The police had reportedly committed extra-judicial killings of innocent people during militancy in Punjab and threw the blame on the militants (“Mass cremation case”, April 5). This is the worst crime committed by those who were supposed to save and protect the lives of the innocent from the extremist forces. Such a crime by the culprits in uniform cannot be pardoned at all. The NHRC should name the ‘guilty murderers in uniform' who should be brought to book and given exemplary punishment even if they have retired from  services.

R K KAPOOR, Chandigarh

From one head to another Parveen Vasisht’s middle “A gift of love” was interesting. During my visit to Canada in 2005, while on an evening walk, I met an aged French man, wearing a cap with the words “retired and loving it”. Hearing my words of admiration, he immediately took it off his head and gifted it to me. Over 75 years of age, I still wear it on special occasions. BM SINGH, Amritsar