The tone and tenor of the article, “A season of loss in Kashmir” (Aug.8), makes it clear that Wajahat Habibullah speaks as one more Kashmiri first and as an Indian later. I wish to respond to him as a common Indian. One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter, so it all depends on one’s perspective. Perhaps Mr. Habibullah needs to be reminded about the definition of a terrorist — hence his attempt to bracket two Kashmiri IAS officers with a terrorist is contentious at best and disingenuous at worst. Every Indian, and this includes the people of Jammu and Ladakh, considers the Kashmir Valley as a legal part of India. Perhaps Kashmiris will heed Mr. Habibullah’s words when he says, “make no mistake that the insurgency has failed”. The 54 deaths and the loss of eyesight for over 100 people were a result of violence instigated by Kashmiris. Why is there no one to speak for the 3,300 Indian security personnel who have been seriously injured?
Deshabhimani Rao,
Bengaluru
The article was remarkable for its objectivity and non-emotional account of the developments and the serious consequences. Unless the Central and State governments take result-oriented steps to win back the trust of Kashmir’s youth, we will face the prospect of losing them forever. It is meaningless to blame Pakistan.
S. Ramamurthy,
Chennai
