Demilitarisation of glacier

Pakistan’s recent National Security Policy articulating that for the next 100 years it wouldn’t be seeking hostility with India has been put to test by our Army Chief, who has offered demilitarisation of Siachen Glacier, provided Pakistan accepted the Actual Ground Position Line. Will Pakistan take do it? Continued deployment on the glacier makes no economic sense for both India and Pakistan as they spend billions of rupees to maintain troops on the highest battlefield of the world. Precious human lives are lost to avalanches and extremely cold weather every day. Even strategically, there is no logic for Pakistan to continue to deploy there as it holds lower heights. If the economy is at the core of Pakistan’s NSP, it must seize the offer at once. Any meaningful trade between the two nations can take place only if there are no conflicts on the borders. We must upgrade the offer of demilitarisation to the highest political level. The only way forward for peace between two neighbours is to have clearly demarcated borders. It is true of both India and Pakistan and India and China.

Lt Col GS Bedi (Retd), Mohali

Perennial hostility

‘Pakistan’s new security policy seeks peace with India: Report’ has to be taken with a pinch of salt. Pakistan’s media says that the prospects of rapprochement with India’s current government were remote. It implies that Pakistan’s new peace policy flashed in the media has a hidden agenda of hostility. It wants to destabilise and covertly malign the present government of India. Has Pakistan ever been friendly to any government of India since 1947?

LR Sharma, Sundernagar

Make amends

Refers to ‘Punjab Government tripped, and how’; intentions of the state authorities are reflected from their acts of commission and omission. Nobody stopped the protesters from blocking the route of the Prime Minister at a flyover which created a very serious security threat. Various roads leading to the rally site were blocked so that people could not reach their destination. After the return of the PM, many irresponsible statements like ‘How’s the josh’ and ‘it is a drama’ were made by some politicians occupying key positions. This has affected the credibility of leaders in power. In a damage control effort, CM Channi has expressed regret to the PM for what happened on January 5, though it is inexcusable. He may now personally request the Prime Minister to pay homage to martyrs at Hussainiwala assuring that all protocols shall be observed.

Subhash Vaid, New Delhi

Virtual campaigns

In view of the widespread outbreak of the third wave of coronavirus, there is a demand that political rallies be banned and the parties should campaign through media or social media. It is an opportunity that should be seized. It will save election expenditure and remove the influence of money power on voters. The burden on election officials will also be less. The politicians would not be able to raise too much mud against each other, and they will be forced to focus only on their own achievements and promises.

Ravinder Mittal, by mail

Farmers and elections

During the prolonged farmers’ protest, all kisan unions were working together. There was no dispute among them. However, after the protest was over, some of them started a blame game against each other due to the elections in Punjab. This shows the worst state of politics in the state.

Lakshay anand, Mohali

Snow blocks roads

Refer to ‘Mild snow in Shimla; 450 roads blocked’; winter snow blocks roads and halts life in Himachal Pradesh, but not in Canada, the US, China or Russia. Evaluate economic loss to the state, people, tourists and border security by road blocks simply due to snow. Abroad roads are kept clean by timely scraping snow in cities and highways. Why can’t this be made available here? It costs little when snow is scrapped timely instead afterwards when it hardens. To match China at the borders, it is necessary to keep road lifelines working in all weather conditions.

Ashok Kumar Goel, Panchkula

What is govt for?

The SC has issued a notice on the plea seeking action against hate speeches at a religious event held in Hardwar last month. The disturbing point here is that if the SC has to intervene in each and every issue, what for do we elect a government? There has not been a word of condemnation from our lawmakers during this time. Why is our young generation being fed poison by such hate speeches distorting past incidents? We have to save our culture and society from such hatred.

Bhupinder Kochhar, Panchkula

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