Editor,
The successful surgical strikes carried out by the Indian army across the LOC against terror launch pads have taken almost everyone by surprise. This is a significant departure from the age-old policy of strategic restraint where you create a pandemonium in the international forum post any such brazen attack as Pathankot and Uri and finally retreat to the dialogue table. It’s difficult and too early to gauge any upper hand and edge India will gain from these strikes. Nevertheless, I salute the political will of the present central government for taking the fight to Pakistan hitherto unseen in any of the previous governments. The capability of the Indian army was never in question, often hailed as one of the most professional armed forces in the world. It’s just that not many governments in the past had the courage to give a free hand to the army to show the enemy its might.
Now the big question is that since for the first time India has retaliated militarily towards Pakistan’s persistent provocations, what are the possible repercussions India must be vigilant about.
Firstly, Pakistan could strike through terror outfits like the LET, JEM, HIM etc. who are part of their state policy and carry out major attacks on military installations in J&K and elsewhere. Secondly, these outfits could activate their sleeper cells which are present in many major Indian cities to plot and plan a major terror attack similar to 26/11. However, any attack on civilians involves the risk of inviting widespread international condemnation and further isolation of Pakistan. Thirdly, Pakistani army could abet massive influx of terrorists into J&K to exploit the ongoing unrest there and attract world attention on Indian atrocities. Fourthly, attack Indian interests in South Asia like the 2008 bombing of the Indian embassy in Kabul given Pakistan’s history of deep terror inroads in Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
It’ll be interesting to see what options Pakistan handpicks. With this embarrassment, the stakes are indeed high and pressure immense on the army to respond adequately. India with its first ever surgical strike has in clear terms sent out a message to Pakistan that it has had enough and any further provocation in any form will lead to further military actions. And make no mistake, the army will up the ante next time and it’ll be a much bigger strike than these surgical ones. It’s entirely up to Pakistan now whether it chooses to fall in line or climb the escalation ladder.
Yours etc.,
Subhasish Das
Kahilipara, Guwahati.
Of lengthy speeches!
Editor,
I sincerely hope somebody is going to take cognizance of the Governor’s marathon speech while the children were fainting in the field. Can somebody please bring this to their attention so they would have more common sense and be more sensitive to such things.
Your etc.,
Albert Steven,
Via email
Comparisons are odious!
Editor,
Apropos the letter by Krishnendu Deb about the degeneration of Shiilong, I think it is wrong to allude to Shillong Shillong as the Scotland of the East. In my understanding, as a student of history and tradition, the English didn’t refer to Shillong as the Scotland of the east because of its beauty. In fact there is nothing to compare Shillong with Scotland merely because of one open golf course. Scotland is a land surrounded by seas and oceans which for us in the Khasi hills is unimaginable. If there is one thing where Shillong can be compared with Scotland it is the age old tradition of the clan and family support system that Scots also share. It also brings forth the argument of a certain Dr. Singh teaching in Oxford and Cambridge,and a Meitei by birth who in his treatise pointed out the fact that of all tribes in the Northeast, only the Khasi Tribe migrated from the west to the east and that the XY chromosome indicates the eastward movement and that the tribes moved in an eastwardly direction after portions of them settled down in the Khasi Hills and that these chromosomes are found all over Southeast Asia. The tradition of electing selecting chieftains is similar to that of the Scots. In the traditions of the past, we know of , “U Syiem kam pher la dei u mraw, hima synshar u rit u khraw ” (It matters not if the chieftain is a slave/ rule of the Hima is by the humble and the mighty), the practice of which can be studied in Scottish history. The tradition of raising monoliths and megaliths is also ery Gaelic in its existence. Is it not about time that some scholarly study is done on these seemingly small but significant facts?
I am writing this from Vietnam where I have been traveling to Laos also to see the similarity in the rural areas of these nations
Yours etc.,
D Kitbok Ryntathiang,
Via email
Use of outdated book
Editor,
I wish to draw the attention of the MBOSE Letters to the Editor must have the full name, address and contact number of the writer, even if they are sent by email. Only letters with the requisite details will be published. officials to the useof an outdated book in Class IX Computer Science. The programming language we are studying in school is basic which is the most outdated among the programming languages available today. As we know this is known as the ‘digital age’ in which computer technology is advancing at a rapid pace but our MBOSE is still stuck in ‘outdated programming. As a student I request the MBOSE officials to look into this matter and update the book at the earliest. I would
Yours etc.,
Name withheld on request