Kargil: hometruths and challenges

THOSE who are guilty of pushing the country to the current disaster can never be pardoned. (“Kargil in Perspective: hometruths and challenges”, July 2).

Of course, a government has to withhold from the public for what is called “security considerations” or “national interest”. But in a well-founded democracy, the area of secrecy should be kept to the minimum. Nobody is naive enough to expect that military secrets should be shared with all and sundry. But it should be the cardinal principle in a democracy that the government tells the people about the broad parameters of security threats and defence preparedness.

I vividly remember the severe drubbing that Nehru received in Parliament over his government’s failure to place in the House information about the Chinese having constructed a road through Aksai Chin. His admission of this lapse brought out the efforts at ensuring transparency in government functioning those days. The sickening tardiness with which the present government has moved at every step and has ultimately been caught napping has resulted in heavy loss of national property and many precious lives.

The time has, therefore, come when an academic demand for the right to information should be converted into a popular movement relevant to the daily life of the people. Appropriate legislation is necessary to spell out the details and give the change teeth and authority. Only then could non-recurrence of Kargil-like situations be ensured.

The dark Kargil conflict has a silver lining too. The Chinese leadership has got a golden opportunity to impress upon the world that it is behaving in a most responsible manner during the present Indo-Pak conflict. China is now projecting itself as a reformed responsible power which is seeking peace and stability in the region. India has to be increasingly reconciled to the reality that the convergence of Indo-China interests augurs well for the future of both countries.

President Clinton’s perceptions of India have also undergone a discernible change as is evident from the US stance on the Kargil issue. The sooner the American President “sees” as well as “knows” what he sees, the better will be the chances of close Indo-US ties.

K.M. VASHISHT
Mansa

AMERICAN TILT: The writer has suggested, inter alia, that the Indian policy makers should take advantage of the current favourable trends to turn the USA away from Pakistan and bring it close to India. However, this suggestion, I believe, is of limited relevance.

The American tilt in favour of India may at best put an end to Pakistan’s armed aggression in Kashmir and terrorism aided and abetted by it there (one is doubtful even of this outcome, considering the nature of various forces operating in that country), but it will not stop Pakistan’s anti-India propaganda in the context of Kashmir.

Pakistan’s case is that it swears by bilateralism but adopts certain other courses of action (for example, seeking third party mediation). India always proceeds on the assumption that Kashmir is its integral part.

Pakistan will always plead its case in the terms it has been doing so far, irrespective of the circumstances, and it is not impossible that on some future date, the international community may give it a sympathetic hearing. Have the Indian policy makers envisaged this scenario and the consequences that emanate from it?

AKHILESH
Birampur (Garhshankar)

WESTERN POWERS: Pakistan’s contention about the “ambiguous delineation” of the LoC is full of mischief, dangerous and unacceptable. This may force India to cross the LoC to cut Pakistan’s supply line to the invaders. Even new fronts may have to be opened if the army strategy so needs. We must teach our belligerent neighbour a lesson — and once and for all.

The USA, the UK, Germany and France have now shown a tilt towards India when Washington in the past had always been for its client state, Pakistan. We must fully exploit the Western powers’ tilt.

India must send its chosen diplomats to world capitals and stop the USA giving any more loan to Pakistan. We have to see that Pakistan is declared a terrorist state.

A word for our young men. They should come forward in large numbers to marry the young war widows many of whom are just in their twenties. These unfortunate women are society’s daughters, the nation’s daughters.

DURGA BHARDWAJ
SOLAN

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Miserly department

The Kargil conflict has exposed the insensitivity of our politicians and bureaucracy to the needs of the country and the welfare of the brave jawans. It is distressing to see a photograph showing Indian soldiers from the frontline standing in a queue at a telephone booth to contact their families.

The photo caption says that the government has announced a 75 per cent cut in long-distance telephone rates for these soldiers. In reality, the Department of Telecommunications should have provided ample lines and free calls to these brave soldiers who do not care whether they are living the next day or not and are fighting for the country so that we may live in peace and security.

In contrast to this miserly attitude towards jawans, the Telecommunications Department has recently given to its four and half lakh employees free telephones after retirement, and also a certain number of free calls! This department has no guts to collect huge arrears from MPs and other politicians but has no hesitation in tapping the pockets of jawans.

Equally disgusting is the reported proposal of a state government employees’ union that one day’s salary should be deducted by the government , from which Rs 3 crore is to be given to the Jawans Welfare Fund and the balance given to the association! The state government rightly turned down the proposal.

The Union Government itself has woken up so late to give 100 per cent tax exemption for contributions to the Army Central Welfare Fund. This should have been done years ago.

The Indian Banks’ Association, the apex organisation of the bankers, has declined a request to ask its member-banks not to take service charges, etc. for demand drafts to the Army Welfare Fund. The IBA’s reasoning is that the matter is left to individual banks! The public is, however, aware how the IBA prompts banks to increase locker rentals, the minimum balance in SB accounts, service charges such as Rs 25 for attesting signatures, and the latest, charges of SB cheque books, going back on an earlier assurance that SB cheque leaves will be free!

M.R. PAI
Mumbai