India & Pakistan
Pakistan was established on a flawed and skewed idea and is run not by a civilian government but by its rogue army that has been dictating its every move and initiative (Cover Story, October 18). Even as India-Pak relations have come to naught, Pakistan continues to promote cross-border terrorism. And yet all its efforts to disturb India have failed miserably.
It is time the civilian government of Pakistan and its military moved the coin first with India. This can only benefit both countries. Political turmoil and economic upheaval have made Pakistan unstable, and it may take decades for the country to mend itself and recover fully.
M.Y. Shariff
Chennai
Pakistan may have a democratically elected government, but it is the military that still seems to call the shots. Although the LoC ceasefire has been in effect since 2021, the aiding and abetting of militants in Kashmir apparently with the covert/ overt support of the Pakistani military continues.
Historically, Pakistan has been an unreliable, unpredictable, and hostile neighbour. The Lahore bus trip ended in the Kargil War; the 2004 peace efforts resulted in the Mumbai terror attacks; and let us not forget the 2016 Pathankot terrorist attack. It is time the Pakistan government understood that violence and diplomacy cannot happen simultaneously. The Prime Minister of Pakistan needs to walk the talk and assure India that his government will desist from promoting state-sponsored terrorism and adopt a zero-tolerance attitude towards outfits that carry out anti-India activities on its soil.
B. Suresh Kumar
Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
Sri Lanka
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna’s (JVP) history of violent ultra-nationalism, especially against India, makes one wonder if its electoral victory can be seen as a dawn of hope at all (“The dawn of hope”, October 18). The fact remains that India’s Neighbourhood First Policy has suffered yet another setback, with a wide swathe of its southern maritime domain facing multiple security threats.
While the JVP may have reinvented itself politically, shedding its violent baggage, it is likely to serve up populist policies. Meanwhile, India has proven its diplomatic mettle in Maldives and Bangladesh, as both countries have come to realise the growing importance of economic interdependence with India.
In the case of India and Sri Lanka, too, there is a strong case of economic interdependence. Sri Lanka’s economic viability is heavily dependent upon transshipment traffic from India. Moreover, India was quick to come to Sri Lanka’s aid at the height of the economic crisis in 2020 with a currency swap; supplies of fuel, rice, and medicine; and financial packages.
India should follow the Maldives template with Sri Lanka and allow economic interdependence to iron out the edges of the JVP’s politics. With President Anura Dissanayake recognising the importance of India for Sri Lanka’s security and economic development, one hopes he will tread a cautious path to maintain a balance between India and China.
Sudipta Ghosh
Murshidabad, West Bengal
One nation, one election
Prima facie, it appears a Herculean task to get the “one nation, one election” Bill passed because the government does not have the required numbers (“One election, many issues”, October 18).
Almost every session in the earlier Lok Sabha saw many Bills pushed through without debate after walkouts by the opposition. Therefore, it seems a foregone conclusion that the winter session may see only fireworks and not debate when the NDA leadership brings the Constitution amendment Bill, which is necessary to pass the “one nation, one election” Bill.
K.R. Srinivasan
Secunderabad, Telangana
A.G. Noorani
I AM a regular reader (and, recently, a subscriber) of Frontline. Your tribute to A.G. Noorani (“A polymath passes on”, October 4) was superb and touching. Readers of Frontline are sure to miss his acerbic wit and incisive criticism.
K. Vijayan
Kochi, Kerala
Hospital horror
The West Bengal government has appointed lawyers to defend Sandip Ghosh, the disgraced principal of R.G. Kar Medical College, betraying the establishment’s efforts to whitewash the rape and murder of the young medico (“A nation scarred”, September 20).
Despite all evidence pointing to a brutal rape and murder, the procedure adopted by the police to investigate the crime is highly suspect. The police arrested Sanjoy Roy, who had initially confessed to the crime. Why then did they also arrest 30 others on suspicion? Did Sanjoy Roy alone commit the crime, or were there others involved? Only a court-monitored CBI investigation can unearth the truth about what really happened.
Kangayam R. Narasimhan
Chennai
Bangladesh
India has stood by Bangladesh through thick and thin as a neighbour (“Time for a turnaround”, September 20). After the forceful exit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh has course-corrected the historic blunder of 1971. But the violence, the vandalism of Hindu temples, and the persecution of the Hindu community in a Muslim-majoritarian state must be condemned and stopped.
The interim government has brought rays of hope for hapless citizens after the end of a gruelling era, but there is still a long way to go. The rights of Hindus have to be protected as they continue to be the scapegoat of anti-India radical elements.
Janga Bahadur Sunuwar
Bagrakote, West Bengal
