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'Pushing the intruders back does not solve the problem; it merely postpones the solution'
E-mail from readers the world over
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Mon, 21 Jun 1999 23:38:30 -0500 "Saab, why are we always allowing them to trouble us and get away. Give us the orders we will capture Lahore," said a jawan who hails from Uttar Pradesh. This is so true. I don't believe that our government should allow them to get away this time. Look at the courage and confidence of this son of Bharat Mata. We should pray everyday for the well being of our jawans. I do, everytime I go to the pooja room for my morning and evening prayer. This kind of sporadic misadventures in Kargil by Pakistan should come to an end and I think this is the right time. Finish them off. Then talk. We have had the experience with Pakistan that we cannot co-exist as two separate nations. Partition was the greatest blunder in our history which left a very sad memory that haunts us every year we celebrate our day of Independence. Gandhi's ahimsa could work only against the British but not against the Muslims in our own land. We can never be friendly with Pakistan because the existence of this nation itself is against morals. I sincerely believe that the Kargil crisis should end with the end of Pakistan. A few weeks ago, Mr Diwanji in his article had criticised our government for not supporting the US and the NATO strikes against Yugoslavia. I would like to again remind him that the rise in Islamic fanaticism in our part of the world was encouraged by the United States during the presence of the Soviets troops in Afghanistan. Now, the Americans are sitting back to watch and enjoy how their Paki and Afghan trainees are performing. That too against a nation that took the path of non violence to gain its independence from slavery. No matter what, the truth always is the winner - Satya Meva Jayate.
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Wed, 23 Jun 1999 18:02:31 -0400 Amberish Dewanji has posted a wonderful feature describing the brave actions of a true Indian hero. If he should meet Major Wangchuk again, I request him to pass my respects and admiration for his heroic acts in the service of our country. A lot of Indians here think of people like Major Wangchuk and his fellow soldiers with gratitude. And a word of praise for Amberish also on his excellent reports at great personal peril. Rajgopal Kannan Dearborn, MI 48124
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Mon, 21 Jun 1999 17:38:22 -0400 Just a short note to let you know that this article was interesting. I live in New Jersey and had not heard of this until I saw it on your web page. Thanks for the info. J Prakash
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Wed, 23 Jun 1999 18:58:25 -0700 India must in all fairness abide by the resolutions of the Security Council. The Kashmiris must have the right to choose whether they wish to stay with India or not. India has no moral right to hold the Kashmiris in shackles. These are freedom fighters, there is no doubt about it. India could not hold a free general election in Kashmir for a long time. This is a matter of record. Azim
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Thu, 24 Jun 1999 11:22:16 +0530 Advani has called Pakistan a rogue state but I feel that US should impose the strictest sanctions against Pakistan and equate it to Libya and label it a terrorist state. The full fledged war will definitely destroy Pakistan and that is what should happen to a rogue state.
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Thu, 24 Jun 1999 08:04:12 PDT Please look at your own masses first, and then try helping others. Check the politicians in Pakistan who are making huge money through corruption and leaving the Pakistani people with huge debts. Also remember that many of the Pakistanis don't have the right to vote even after staying there from pre-Partition days. So first satisfy the masses of Pakistan and then try to support others. Do you have any big achievements in science or medicine or in any sectors in these last fifty years. All you have is in shambles. We (as I am Indian) too have the problems but we did develop a lot on our own, and taught how to be in peace for all these years. But time and again Pakistan has knocked on the Indian borders and now the break-even point has been reached. Don't go beyond that and let the people of Pakistan suffer (as politicians may all build a row of fine bungalows in London and live there, as was the case of the so called patriotic daughter of Pakistan Mrs Benazir Bhutto is doing now) because of the hardcore politicians of Pakistan. Fighting a self styled Jihad in J&K, doesn't make any sense, even while having a bad human rights record in Pakistan. And the saddest thing is, why don't the people of Pakistan understand the situation? The world knows how grave the situation in Pakistan is regarding human rights violations. So the world knows how the Kashmiris would suffer if it supports your cause. I sense that, by gaining the J&K, it would be easy or may be you are thinking of stretching into China (Xinjiang) where now you want to spread the the Jihad too. China better get this before it's too late.
Chetan K
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Fri, 25 Jun 1999 00:23:13 EDT This is probably the best article I have read on the Kargil crisis. I have always been an admirer of Vir Sanghvi, but this one has just been out of this world. Apart from comparing all the aspects of international relations of India with its neighbours, Vir has also gone in depth to get good comparisons between 1999, 1962 and 1971. Also, he has managed to bind the political situation in India with the article. It has all fallen into place so well, in a crisp article. And in the end, it leaves the reader with a deep sense of national pride! I am proud to be an Indian. Suresh
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Fri, 25 Jun 1999 01:18:45 EDT In my opinion, if we want to solve this problem for good, then this is probably the best and only opportunity India would get to cross the Line of Control and either take POK or cut the supply route. Pakistan has lost all the credibility and support of other countries, because of which I don't think any of them would want to support Pakistan in the event of war. We may have to take some flak for this, but we have to take the example of Israel in this matter. Israel attacks Lebanon, Palestine and other Arab countries when they see their country's interest is compromised. Pakistan would never use the nuclear option against India because they know that the existence of Pakistan will be in question if it happens. I hope India takes this golden opportunity to solve this never ending problem for good. I am ready to sacrifice myself for this cause for a better future for our country.
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Fri, 25 Jun 1999 00:47:11 -0700 Gen Zinni is a soldier and a salesman of weapons. Pakistan is America's largest buyer of weapons, so what Zinni says and what he means has to be scrutinised. It is sad that America supports countries that are anti-America, like the fundamentalist Muslims around the world, or the Afghanis who have no sympathy for America or American lives around the world. This time America should bring the hammer down and choke Pakistan into submission.
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Fri, 25 Jun 1999 03:09:32 PDT I think the Brigadier's statements underline what I feel has been the primary bane of the country's policy on Kashmir and Pakistan. We have created the problem in Kashmir by allowing Pakistan to get away with its misdemeanour, and don't do enough when it comes back to haunt us often. It points, clearly, to a lack of vision and foresight on part of the political leadership. It is quite understandable, given Nehru, that we had to give up hard won gains in 1948. In fact, the root of the Kashmir problem can be laid straight in Nehru's lap without a moment's hesitation. One would have expected the primer minister of the day in 1971 to be more prudent and use the victor's advantage and wrest concessions on POK. For whatever reason, that didn't happen. Now we see a government reluctant to cross the Loc even if it means constraining the military's operational effectiveness, perhaps costing a lot more lives, and a certainly lot more money. Maybe it is a bit too late for us to do it now. Even now, the government is interested only in getting the infiltrators out of Kargil; the fact that Kargil can be repeated seems to have escaped their notice. We are repeating precisely the same mistake we made in 1948, 1965 and 1971. Pushing the intruders back does not *solve* the problem; it merely postpones the solution. I do hope that the government will not squander the support it has in the international community but will instead push for a permanent solution, militarily or politically. We have a lot to do as a nation; we cannot afford to commit sizeable energy and time to hold a pesky neighbour in his place. We should take the chance to show him his place now and for all time. And get on with nation building. Now's the time to act decisively.
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Fri, 25 Jun 1999 11:40:56 -0400 A very informative interview which threw insight into the mistakes by successive Indian governments on the Kashmir issue in the past 50 years and how India could have avoided losing thousands of civilian and army personnel over Kashmir. Kindly have some articles on military support to Pak for carrying out insurgency in India from China through the Karakoram highway in PoK and how India should totally disrupt this highway and the underlying advantage to China with Pakistan through this act of aggression, successfully cutting off Ladakh, India's part of Tibet.
Hindu Students Council Chapter
Date:
Fri, 25 Jun 1999 22:03:59 +0300 I am indeed greatful to Rediff for its informative news articles on Kargil. The article by General Ashok K Mehta gave a very clear picture of how the 'Battle of Tololing Ridge' was fought. However, if some light could be thrown on the difficulties faced by our brave Army jawans in fighting the enemy in the 'Kargil Sector" at sub zero temperatures climates, attacking from lower heights at such higher altitudes in the hostile terrain, with delayed logistic systems and inadequate or almost nil fire cover, and the kind of psychological impact these factors have on them, it will make us Indians realise the kind of sacrifice our jawans are making for our country. Anil Dobhal
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Fri, 25 Jun 1999 13:07:26 -0700 This article by T V R Shenoy throws light in a very right way on the attitude of Chinese. This is very educative. Thank you Mr Shenoy. Bhaskar
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Fri, 25 Jun 1999 17:02:45 EDT The column by Pritish Nandy is the best column I ever read. It is 100 per cent true what he says in his column. It is a fact that Pakistanis have this identity problem all over the world especially in United States where I live. They have this complex that Indians excel and get recognition wherever and in whatever they do. And on top of that, our popular culture and music greatly influences their everyday life willingly or unwillingly that it seems they die everyday to get rid of them but only to be swept away by the magnificent and mighty Indian wave. In a way, I am sorry for them. But sorry? You (Pakistanis) broke away from us listening to your selfish politicians. Now you have to pay the price. For the rest of us... be assured, the following century belongs to us Indians. No one can stop us from achieving our greatness together. I am proud to be born as an Indian first more than anything else. Coming from Tamilnadu or even raised in a Christian family as a Christian, I am proud that I am born to Bharat Mata. May our mother's name live forever and may her flag fly gloriously. May all Indians come together under her flag. Keep up your good work.
Adrian T Dayan
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Wed, 16 Jun 1999 23:20:31 +0200 Very good, but this is only the beginning. The question is the new world order (read US foreign policy). This is also your mistake in your foreign policy! Answer me: why NATO's aggression on a sovereign country like Yugoslavia without any protest or veto from Russia and China??? Kovach
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Thu, 17 Jun 1999 06:06:42 +0530 It is good that we have China experts in the external affairs ministry. However, I doubt that China perceives the NATO interference in Kosovo with an element of fear because "the US can, if need be, intervene on behalf of, say, the Tibetans". If China is now weary that Tibet might come alive, it will be because the Tibetans themselves are getting extremely restless and the original refugee leadership is aging and now feels a sense of urgency that time is running out. Besides this, the other more important fact of the matter is that China is now seeing an India that is getting stronger economically and in the past year has been very assertive militarily. If I were part of the Chinese leadership, I'd rather have a friendly India rather than an adversarial one. One last note: Whatever form this friendship might take, and India should work to be friends with China, the Indian politicians and policy makers should NEVER forget 1962. India should NEVER get carried away with a friendly China. It ought to be friendship with goodwill but also with caution and suspicion.
Prasanna Chitturi
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Wed, 16 Jun 1999 22:06:32 -0400 Spoken like a true bully. By being vile, contemptuous, boisterous and hateful, Pritish Nandy has shown in his column that he is precisely what he accuses Pakistan of being. Let us hope our leaders do not think like him, or get taken in by perverse thoughts like his.
Date:
Thu, 17 Jun 1999 14:27:37 +1200 We have been projecting ourselves as a better nation compared to Pakistan. Though there may be some validity in these arguments but it does nothing to serve our purpose. We as a nation should not be happy with what Pakistan does not have. Your article only says that there is no comparison between India and Pakistan by just highlighting the poorer side of Pakistan. Everyone would agree that most of it applies to us as well. Why not compare us with the likes of countries like the UK, Singapore, the US and Japan? Such comparisons will be extremely fruitful and would highlight our needs. By limiting our standards of comparisons to that of Pakistan, we have remained in the same slot even after 50 years of Independence. Hence comparisons with countries which we know are not so well off may keep us happy and contended but shall never give us the inspiration to work harder and develop faster. If India were to be like the US will Pakistan ever indulge in such adventurism? Vijay
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Thu, 24 Jun 1999 14:16:35 -0400 So reads a top headline in one of Pakistan's leading newspapers, The Dawn. If this is true, then why didn't the Indian media carry this? If this is true, then we Indians must act on behalf of our brave jawans. We have been doing good-for-nothings like forming human chains, taking demonstrations and such things to express solidarity with our soldiers fighting in Kargil. The soldiers would be happier if they knew we were doing the above to impress upon our government to modernise the forces instead. The least we could do is persuade the government to equip them adequately to destroy Pakistan. Please join me in writing to the finance minister at fm@finance.delhi.nic.in to allocate more funds for our force modernisation. Write to the defence minister, or the prime minister at Prime Minister's Office, South Block, New Delhi - 110 011 Phone or write to your local MPs expressing the need to provide at least the bare minimum necessities to our brave jawans. Let this be the objective of our demonstrations, rallies, and human chains. Not merely expressing solidarity and paying lip service. We owe it to them. Prasad
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Fri, 25 Jun 1999 00:42:59 -0700 Dear Dilip Your logic beats me. By your logic we should dislodge our army, why ours only, you seem to suggest the entire world should disarm. Very noble suggestion, but unfortunately highly stupid. You seem to suggest we should deal with a psychopath the same way you would deal with petty criminal next door. Why do you fail to see any reasoning for security at all ? This is no utopia to believe the psychopath will overnight turn into Gandhi. If you believe so, you should adopt a criminal from Tihar jail and live with him for a while. Nobody is saying we are the richest county in the world, but we still let people like you come up and talk stupid things to the rest of the world. Unfortunately you don't understand the depth of this. In summary: Pakistan = Psychopath who could kill millions, cop who beat up innocent = criminal Venkatesh
Date: Wednesday, June 16, 1999 2:53 AM This letter is in reference to the letters from Ras H Siddiqui and Khawaja Rehman. I was moved by Mr Khawaja's email. I would like to tell Mr Ras that India is a home for all living beings irrespective of caste/creed/religion. So the division of India based on religion is not fair to religions which did not have their own countries. Whoever asked for separation from India based on religion did not care for others because for them dividing people based on religion was more important than anything else. Just because Kashmir has more Muslims does not mean that it has to be divided. Many of the Muslims in Kashmir do not support separation. Mountabatten, the Indian government and the ruler of Kashmir had signed a legal binding of Kashmir to India similar to Texas, New Mexico in US. But Pakistan has kept the pot boiling by encouraging terrorism and Jihad in Kashmir through outside mercenaries. But Pakistan's propaganda machine would have its people believe otherwise. I read a board somewhere "Kashmir is the rose in the flower bouquet of India" and it shall remain so. India accepts diversity (religious/language etc..) under one invisible God so that the children can live with peace and love irrespective of any differences. Gopala Krishna
Date: Thursday, June 03, 1999 4:33 AM Don't send our men to die. Just give Pakistan Kashmir, Punjab and anything else they ask for. Why do we need a country? It is after all only a pile of rubble (to misquote Mr D'Souza). Yes, we knew and so did Squadron Leader Ahuja when he was sent out for the sorties. Our soldiers are there because they are ready to give their lives for the very same pile of rubble. There is a difference between dying in battle and being brutally murdered after ejecting out of the aircraft. If he had been returned alive, as per conventions of war, maybe he would be alive today. We have lost a brave soldier to shameful death. Please do not trivilise his sacrifice. He fought for his country. Unlike Mr D'Souza who believes that the Himalayas are only a pile of rubble to be given away, he and countless others like him, believe that it was worth dying for! If the many soldiers who gave their lives in the previous two wars did not think so, then maybe Mr D'Souza wouldn't have a safe country to sit in and write what he did. The families of the slain soldiers can do without such spurious condolences. Anu
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