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Suspend treaty to deny Pakistan river waters

To the editorial “Don’t bank on others” (Jan 12), I would like to add that the UPA government’s over-dependence on the US and other nations shows it is weak. Its illogical approach to deal with the Mumbai terror has been laid bare.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has been reiterating time and again that all the options are open but there shall be no retaliatory action. Pakistan is firm that no wanted persons shall be deported to India, even if their role in the Mumbai terror is proved.

The government should immediately suspend all the treaties including the Indus Water Treaty and the flow of water from all the rivers going to Pakistan should be stopped forthwith. All the diplomatic relations must be called off and we must call back our diplomats.

It must be understood once for all that Pakistan is not ready to give up the path of terrorism and will not do so in future. The government should realise that fire fighting has to be done by one whose house is on fire. The government should stop fooling people with empty assurances.

CAPT AMAR JEET KUMAR (retd), SAS Nagar

II

Why should we expect others to do the needful for us? We simply lack the will and the resolve to take the bull by horns. Peace talks and terrorism cannot go together. Senior diplomats and ambassadors have rightly cautioned the government against reliance on outside powers.

Depending on other countries to protect our interest would be a great folly.

Reviewing our treaties with Pakistan will surely bear fruit. Deterrence works only when the opponent is convinced that retaliation will follow. The annulment of Indus water treaty will force Pakistan to do the needful.

Surely, we know that the Pakistan civilian government is a puppet in the hands of the army, the ISI and terrorists. The failure to tame Pakistan will result in disastrous destabilisation of the entire world.

CAPT S K DATTA, Abohar

III

The former diplomats and foreign secretaries in their wisdom concluded that we must devise our own ways and means for country’s security with little hope from other countries. The few options available with us are minimising or snapping ties with Pakistan. The world knows it well, that Pakistan is the harbinger of terrorism and is itself facing an imminent threat from terror.

We could have opted for a military solution but for Pakistan’s nuclear capability. We have to remember that in Pakistan it is the army and jehadi elements that call the shots. Pakistan is the creator and forerunner of terrorism and its talk of peace is merely rhetoric.

SUDERSHAN WALIA, Amritsar

Set PSCs in order

P.P. Rao’s article “Public Service Commissions” (Jan 5) has brought out the grim reality of the PSC‘s. His observation that sidelining of PSC’s sets an unhealthy trend is apt.

But he has not made any concrete suggestion, which can ensure that only men of integrity and of position are put on the commissions. Unless, there is a drastic change in the constitutional provision, the political masters are not going to act upon the writer’s homilies. They have to be forced by constitutional requirements so that only highly educated or highly placed people in public life are nominated to the commissions as members.

As long as there are provisions that certain members do not even require basic qualifications, the day is not too far when some illiterate person will head the UPSC. I suggest that the members of the commission should not be appointed on the whim and fancy of the ruling government. Instead, there should be a body comprising of at least twenty retired chief justices and other men of eminence. This body should nominate members to the state PSC’s as also to the UPSC.

DR KHAZAN SINGH GULIA, Rohtak

Imperfect education system The education system in India is absolutely flawed and burdens the student community heedlessly. The pressure of the system first takes its toll on toddlers. The primary education system suffers due to poor infrastructure. At the secondary level of education the overall performance of the students is not judged rightly. The educational standard of our colleges and universities has touched rock bottom. No wonder, the youth find it difficult to secure a job for themselves. There is an urgent need to reform the present education system. Politics and nepotism should be kept at an arm’s length in universities. Selection of teachers and students should be made transparent and the academicians should be made accountable. SHELLY MEHDIRATTA, Chandigarh