India must fix its vulnerabilities

Refer to ‘IC 814 lays bare an uncomfortable truth’ (The Great Game); the incisive article sheds light on India’s disturbing fragility during the Kandahar crisis. Despite India’s nuclear tests and post-Kargil rhetoric, the nation’s inability to exert diplomatic or military leverage against Pakistan’s ISI- backed terrorism has left us deeply vulnerable. The sight of Jaswant Singh escorting terrorists to Kandahar showed our desperation, and the isolation India faced globally was humiliating. The unpalatable truth is that India is still weak, regardless of what our leaders claim. The Chinese incursions in Ladakh and domestic failures, like the collapse of the Shivaji statue because of the use of poor-quality material, serve as grim reminders of internal decay. Instead of faking strength, India must confront these persistent vulnerabilities head-on by tackling corruption and boosting defence. True resilience lies in recognising and addressing our flaws, not in self-congratulatory delusions.

Chanchal S Mann, Una

No hope for India-Pak ties

With reference to the editorial ‘The Kargil admission’; the acknowledgement by Gen Syed Asim Munir lays to rest the baseless theory that ‘private freedom fighters’ were solely involved in the intrusions. This comes not long after former PM Nawaz Sharif admitted earlier this year that Islamabad had violated an agreement with Delhi. It is common knowledge that Pakistan tends to refuse the bodies of its own soldiers or terrorists. And that makes the admission from Pakistan’s top military officer all the more significant. But the moot question is: Will it have any positive impact on the relations between the two countries? As things stand, it seems unlikely.

RK Arora, Mohali

Munir’s statement lacks sincerity

Apropos of ‘The Kargil admission’; the Pakistan army chief’s first public acknowledgement of the 1999 war is welcome. But it lacks sincerity. Interestingly, his statement comes merely weeks after India celebrated 25 years of its victory over Pakistan. But it remains to be seen if it could help improve the ties between New Delhi and Islamabad. While Pakistan has done well to extend an invite to PM Narendra Modi to attend a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and Islamabad has hinted at its willingness to mend the bilateral relations, more needs to be done to put things on an even keel.

Abhijit Roy, Jamshedpur

Prioritise preservation of heritage

Refer to ‘Take balanced stance’; the ongoing tussle between the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and various Waqf boards must not be milked by the ruling dispensation or the Opposition for politics. Pertinently, a lot of heritage sites under the jurisdiction of the ASI hold religious significance. Addressing the hot button issue will require both sides to ascertain ways of keeping the precious heritage alive. Preservation of heritage should be accorded top priority.

Deepak TAAK, Panchkula

India’s unsung champions

India’s showing in the 2024 Paris Paralympics has been impressive. Not only have India surpassed their record haul of 19 medals in Tokyo, but they have also secured a place in the list of top 20 countries in the tournament. This is a matter of pride for all of us. Our para-athletes have bagged more medals than their much-celebrated compatriots did at the Olympics. Their stellar performance proves that no matter what the circumstances are, all one needs is perseverance to succeed.

Pooja, Jalandhar

Trump, Harris’ outreach to Blacks

Apropos of the news report ‘Trump, Harris battle for Black voters in must-win Georgia’; it is noteworthy that Black voters comprise a third of Georgia’s population — the biggest proportion of Black voters in any of the seven battleground states. While Republicans are making an all-out effort to help Trump win over the Black voters, they are unlikely to succeed. After all, the demographic group has been historically loyal to the Democratic Party. And Trump’s history of racist remarks gives his opponent enough ammunition to target him. Kamala Harris clearly has an edge over him.

Vijaya Sharma, by mail

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