Dealing with Pakistan

APROPOS of Mr Hari Jaisingh’s “Dealing with Gen Musharraf’s Pakistan: need for pragmatic diplomacy” (Oct 22), the General is caught between the devil and the deep sea. In the face of mounting world pressure he may like to dismount the tiger he is riding. But how to do the trick? He faces a Punjabi-dominated military establishment, which may make going tough for him.

Goodwill in the streets for the General would soon evaporate if he fails to improve the basics of life for the common man. How will he do the miracle? Pakistan has a foreign debt of $ 30 billion. Foreign currency reserves are dipping. The IMF has already refused to release a $ 280 million tranche of a $ 1.6 billion aid package.

India should deal with the Kargil-beaten crafty chela of General Zia in a pragmatic manner. No Lahore process unless Pakistan stops fuelling cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. We have to be alert on all the high hill-tops alongside the LoC. Yet there is no need for panic. We have to think through defence needs rationally.

Prime Minister Vajpayee has promised to tackle poverty and illiteracy and to provide safe drinking water. All this needs money. We better reorient our priorities within the existing defence budget. Runaway military budgets have crippled many nations in the world, including a super power of the century.

DURGA BHARDWAJ
Solan

Blaming the West: The article “Dealing with Gen Musharraf’s Pakistan” has it that the “Western world has a very limited understanding of subcontinental politics.

In my opinion, it would not be proper to blame the Western countries. Even our own erstwhile rulers did not understand our immediate neighbour — Pakistan. They had been dealing too politely with Pakistan, almost amounting to stupidity. No doubt, the approach of the BJP-led government has been realistic. Our Defence Minister was correct when he put all the blame on the Pakistani army for creating the Kargil problem. India has to be very strong, economically as well as militarily, if we want to earn friendship with Western nations and force Pakistan to see reason.

Although we should value friendly relations with Western countries, it would be disgraceful for a large country like India with huge resources to depend on the USA for all our problems, including those created by Pakistan. It is hoped the Vajpayee-led government is capable of dealing with Gen Musharraf’s Pakistan quite confidently.

ANAND PRAKASH
Panchkula

1000-year war: As far as Pakistan is concerned, it has lost all direct wars and, therefore, it has started a proxy war. We suffered because of this proxy war first in Punjab. Now the proxy war is on in Jammu and Kashmir. Kargil has been just an episode.

When the Pakistani forces were defeated in 1971 war, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto had said that they would initiate a 1000-year war against India. Actually they have started this 1000-year war. If we estimate our losses we shall come to the conclusion that the losses are higher than Pakistan suffered during the wars of 1965, 1971 and 1999 (in Kargil). And it is also believed that this proxy war is more dangerous — it has been consuming much of our time, energy and money.

DALIP SINGH WASAN
Patiala

Welcome change in US attitude

The rise of Gen Parvez Musharraf on the Pakistani — nay, the subcontinental — horizon has understandably brought frenzied reactions from different quarters, particularly in view of our experience with the earlier tin-pots such as Presidents Ayub Khan and Zia-ul-Haq. India — with its latest harvest of hostilities in the Kargil sector, in spite of the Lahore bus diplomacy, and over 400 soldiers killed and many times more wounded and maimed — is loathe to expect anything better and would naturally insist on the cessation of crossborder terrorism.

The abiding interest in exhorting Pakistan to stop aiding terrorism, militancy, jehad, etc, on the Indian soil is a new element in the US policy which only a year back was interested more in bringing about a P-5 (UN Security Council’s permanent members) conference on Kashmir. But one is heartened a little to hear Mr Karl Inderfurth, US Under Secretary of State, say that “we have no plans or intentions” to resume arms supply to Islamabad, even if Congress authorises President Bill Clinton to waive the Pressler Amendment.

This is eminently desirable in view of the discordant voices heard from across the Indo-Pak border, with Jamaat-e-Islami chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed roaring at General Musharraf’s avowal of inspiration from Turkish leader Kemal Ataturk and admonishing the Pakistan Chief Executive to exorcise from his mind “the ghost of Kemalism”.

One fervently hopes that the present positive attitude of the US Administration, embodied in Mr Inderfurth’s observations, is a relatively permanent feature rather than a sham intended to lull India into complacency. Coupled with the liberalistic streak in General Musharraf’s pronouncements and the US stress on de-militarisation along the LoC in Kashmir, this can perhaps lead to a dawn of hope in the subcontinent.

J.N. NARANG
Chandigarh

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Hike in water tariff

The central government recently increased the rate of diesel by 40 per cent to control the increasing deficit in the oil pool. This decision of the government has resulted in a higher input cost to farmers, increased fares of buses run by state governments as also private operators, and enhanced freights of goods and essential commodities. At the same time, the Indian Railways is also on the way to increasing passenger fares and goods transportation charges.

This decision of the government has proved a blow to the masses as it will definitely result in costlier essential commodities and a higher inflation rate.

Recently, the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh increased the water tariff by 100 per cent both for domestic and industrial consumers. It has also recommended a sewerage cess of Rs 5 per connection for residential buildings and Rs 10 for hotels and industrial buildings. Charges for water tankers have been increased from Rs 50 to Rs 200 per tanker, and there is multiple enhancement in the charges for use in Nehru Park for commercial organisations and religious institutions — Rs 15000 per day. Since its inception the MCC has been starving for money and every third day one levy or the other is imposed on the innocent public of Chandigarh. On the other hand, it has totally failed to discharge its duty by not providing various amenities to the residents. Thus the existence of the MCC is not only a liability but a headache as well. It should be dissolved.

Now the Chandigarh Administration is also planning to increase sales tax on petrol in the city to bring it on a par with Punjab. Chandigarh, being a Union Territory, enjoys special status as compared to any state. Drawing a comparison of the petrol price in Chandigarh to that in Punjab is not justified. Punjab is providing free electricity to its farmers.

A recent survey showed that Chandigarh is the costliest city in India. A large majority of people in Chandigarh are working in establishments in Mohali/ Panchkula/Baddi/Ropar/ Dera Bassi, etc. Being employed in the states of Punjab, Haryana, HP, etc they are getting dearness allowances based on the CLI of the respective states, which is certainly much lower than in Chandigarh. At the same time, they have to bear the brunt of inflation in Chandigarh. To keep the inflation under control, government agencies need to work together and take effective and immediate steps to curb black marketing, reduce sales tax on essential goods, and stop the pilferage of electricity, etc.

Keeping in mind the pitiable condition of the people of Chandigarh, it is suggested that no more increase in sales tax on petrol and water tariff be effected.

The proposed sewerage cess and the increase in the charges for the use of Nehru Park be withdrawn immediately in public interest.

A.P. BHARDWAJ
Chandigarh