Letters to the editor

This refers to “On the LoC, in fact” (FE, January 21). All facts put forward by Shekhar Gupta and his advocacy of liberal attitude towards Pakistan are well taken. However, it is unfair to call those having a different view, and they are in majority, as jingoistic. Sushma Swaraj may have gone overboard in expressing her sentiments but no sensible person has said that India should attack Pakistan. India has persistently pursued peace process and confidence-building measures with Pakistan, even in spite of Pakistan’s reluctance to book the perpetrators of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. Also, Pakistan has persisted with its hostility and complete indifference towards India’s concerns.

All that people want is that India should make Pakistan realise that India’s peace initiatives are neither a sign of its weakness nor continuing the dialogue process, irrespective of greatest provocation by Pakistan, is India’s compulsion. The way to achieve this objective was shown by initiatives such as our Army Chief’s tough talk of retaliation, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s forthright statement that with Pakistan’s denial about involvement of its troops in Indian soldier’s beheading at the LoC business with it cannot be as usual, and actions like suspension of liberal-visa regime and sending back Pakistani hockey players. Only this much brought the Pakistan military and government in senses. In fact, Pakistani minister Hina Rabbani Khar, who just a day earlier was accusing India of “warmongering” and “blowing things out of proportion”, offered foreign-minister level talks on the border issue. Good

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