Burden of proof

October 07, 2016 01:54 am | Updated November 01, 2016 11:23 pm IST

The ruling government’s glorification of the Indian Army’s surgical strikes and the opposition parties’ scepticism of the same show how political interests take precedence over the sovereignty and security of the nation (“ >Avoid chest-thumping on surgical strikes, says PM ”, Oct.6). Parties want to cash in on the operation before the elections in U.P. and Punjab. By making a sensitive issue, in which the dignity and pride of the nation are at stake, a political agenda, parties are showing how unethical they have become. Instead of focussing on political interests, attention should be diverted towards future security challenges.

Mudit Katiyar,

Lucknow

Questioning the Army’s surgical strikes may have helped the naysayers savour the satisfaction of embarrassing the ruling party, but it has in the process inflicted considerable damage on several fronts (“Three shades of denial”, Oct. 6). One, these people have dealt a severe blow to India’s efforts to mobilise international opinion against Pakistan’s sponsorship of terror as an instrument of state policy because nations that speak in different voices on matters of security and defence evoke contempt rather than sympathy. Two, the sceptics have indirectly helped the Pakistani Army and the government tell their people that India’s claim of a tactical attack stands ‘exposed’ as many Indians are themselves not convinced of it. Three, this must be demoralising for the Army. It is ironical that when the whole world is ready to consider the official version of the attacks as credible, some Indians will go to any extent to score political points even if it compromises the nation’s fight against Pakistan’s proxy war.

V.N. Mukundarajan,

Thiruvananthapuram

The surgical strikes are under scrutiny as they transcended the nationalistic cause and are being used for political mileage. What news channels call ‘distrusting’ our Army and ‘disrespecting’ our martyrs are actually discourses that need to take place in a democracy. The freedom to ask tough questions of public authorities, whoever they may be, differentiates us from Pakistan. The government could call for a joint session of Parliament and confidentially show the footage to legislators across parties. Then they could pass a resolution on the success of the surgical strikes. This will not only solve the security concerns about making the strike video public but will also reinforce trust in the Opposition and the public.

Ghanisht Yasu,

Lucknow

These types of operations have their own covert and confidential strategies. Sharing videos of them will reveal the know-how of the mission, which needs to be kept clandestine in the nation’s interest. Sharing the video will let the enemy nation know the secret of such attacks and that will weaken our country. The decision taken by the Indian Army is correct.

Kaushik Pandey,

Varanasi

Some journalists and carping critics of the military action have been starved of details of the surgical strikes. There is no compelling reason for the government to furnish details on how the strikes were carried out. It is not as though it is imperative that sensitive information must be revealed to the public. The intentional denial of any shade does not make the account spurious. Military action does not require people’s certification and approval. Though one may agree that chest-thumping is unwarranted as it may lead to unnecessary provocation, it is wrong to find fault with the government’s obduracy to share the details of what transpired. On the contrary, let us acknowledge and accept the fact that the strikes were intended to negate the threat from the other side of the LoC.

V. Lakshmanan,

Tirupur

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