The Hindu : Misleading people

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 05, 2003

Opinion

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Misleading people

Sir, — In his article, `Misleading the people'( July 1 ), Prakash Karat has rightly pointed out that making Indian troops participate in the subjugation and re-colonisation of Iraq will mean the end of the independent foreign policy of India.

It is a pity that the Government even wants to consider the U.S. request for troops. The Government should have bluntly refused, especially since the plan does not have a mandate from the United Nations. The war in Iraq should have been a lesson for India at least in terms of its tendency to bend its policies under pressure from Western directives. Sending our troops to Iraq at this juncture will be like sending them to their death.

Considering the number of U.S. and British soldiers being killed almost every day, our troops will also be victim of anarchy and the anger of the Iraqis. It is strange that a country which has enormous confidence in its military prowess, and had at one point asserted that it will go to war alone if needed should now be requiring the assistance of other countries.

Sutirtha Sahariah,
New Delhi

* * *

Sir, — The decision on sending troops to Iraq awaits inputs from the Foreign Secretary after his return from Washington and the Indian Ambassador to Iraq. Any move to send Indian troops to Iraq, relying on the official version which may not reflect an accurate and true assessment of the situation, will be deemed a mission for war-making and not for peace-keeping and it will send a terribly wrong message to the people not only in the Arab World but also in European countries.

Syed Moinuddin,
Chennai

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