Editor,
My heartfelt gratitude goes to our soldiers in the Indian Army and Indian Air Force for carrying out the successful surgical operation across the Line of Control (LOC) in Jammu and Kashmir. It was a much needed operation to teach these Islamic terrorists across the border and the terror state of Pakistan, a lesson or two. This is a strong message sent by India to its hostile neighbor that it will no longer be cowed down by such acts of terror. I am no supporter of any political party but I will not fail myself from acknowledging our Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The terrorists and the terror state across the border have taken our country for granted as if we are unable to reply and have misjudged our patience. But it is a case of our sovereignty and when that is challenged than a nation has every right to defend itself. Had Sonia Gandhi’s remote control puppet Dr Manmohan Singh still been the Prime Minister, we would have only seen some spineless diplomatic talking and urging, whereas Modi has done what he said recently that he would never forget this attack and the perpetrators would be punished. And rightly so they were punished in their own den.
In the aftermath of the Uri attack expectations were high that this government would act decisively which it has with this surgical operation. No other government I can bet would have ever thought of taking such an action at least in the volatile Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK). I am sure that the family members of the 18 soldiers who were martyred in the Uri attack will find much fulfillment from this operation although loss of human life is irreparable. Undoubtedly only a charismatic leader can effect changes. This Kashmir issue would have never bled our country incessantly had it been dealt with strongly by the weak-kneed Jawaharlal Nehru. The Himalayan blunder that the Congress government under Nehru had inflicted on this nation and its people will never be forgiven. Frankly, this country would have been better off without Nehru at the helm of all affairs, post independence.
Yours etc.
PK Dwivedi
Shillong – 1
Congrats Indian army!
Editor,
The well-planned and carefully orchestrated surgical strike deep inside Pakistan Occupied Kashmir by Special Forces of the Indian Army is a well-deserved honour to be given to our men and women in uniform who have dedicated themselves to the task of protecting the integrity and sovereignty of this nation. Pakistan has been left licking it’s wounds after the surgical strike and moreover being sidelined by major Western countries at the UN and particularly the US. History of strategic restraint is old hat that the Congress government had adopted. That is over and done with. With the current dispensation of the NDA at Delhi things are going to change for India in this geopolitical map of Asia and its neighbours.
Yours etc…
Dominic S. Wankhar
Shillong-3
Tradition…tradition…tradition
Editor,
Hats off to our regular columnist, Toki Blah, for his provocative articles like the recent the one, “Hostage to traditions” (ST Sep 27, 2016). There is no harm in passing references now and then to traditions in our conversations with friends and acquaintances but not to religiously and ardently stick to them. The fact is that even traditions undergo change and have evolved according to the changing times and we are living witnesses to various changes in our traditions that had taken place right in front of our eyes. But one thing that I hate to hear from friends or from lecturers is glorification of the past as if the present and the future hold nothing and we are doomed. Let us be more positive of our present and future. The past has its own glory, so also the present and the future. We should always have a positive attitude. It will propel us forward in everything we do.
Now, on the comment that Iewduh (Bara Bazar) being the Khasi women’s market, that might have been true in the past but no longer. Almost all stalls and all sections of the market are now manned both by men and women and thanks to the KHADC and the Office of the Syiem of Mylliem we have a good number of male and female non-tribal shop-owners who have helped to give a semblance of a multi-racial market and who have occupied not only the stalls but also every inch of the Iewduh thoroughfares.
Yours etc.,
Philip Marwein
Via email
Need to isolate Pakistan!
Editor,
I strongly support the grand proposition made by the Indian National Congress to call a special session of the Indian parliament and to discuss security issues threatening the integrity of the nation and to declare Pakistan as a Terrorist State. India needs to do that immediately before other major global forces consider doing the same and placing strong economic sanctions against Pakistan for supporting, funding and coordinating cross-border terrorism and other covert operations against India, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Bangladesh and Afghanistan also need to do the same to isolate Pakistan which is the hub of global terrorism and is a constant threat to the peace, stability and economic prosperity of South Asia. All the countries in this region need to unite and fight against cross-border terrorism sponsored by Pakistan.
The US Congress has already tabled a bill on declaring Pakistan as a Terrorist Nation, India cannot lag behind in this significant initiative for global isolation of Pakistan.
Yours etc.,
Saikat Kumar Basu,
Lethbridge AB Canada T1J 4B3