Home Minister Rajnath Singh talking tough about ending Pakistan’s relentless sponsorship of terrorism is welcome. However, his assertion that the government would not fail to find “a permanent solution” to the Kashmir issue is a bit of grandstanding. The rise in violence in the Kashmir Valley needs to be addressed carefully with patience and diligence. Sounding a battle cry will be of little use in a war of nerves. Provocations from the enemy should not decide the course of action for India (“Will find permanent solution to Kashmir issue”, May 22).
Dr. D.V.G. Sankararao,
Nellimarla, Andhra Pradesh
The Kashmiri issue has been hanging fire for the past several decades and successive governments have not been able to find any solution that could be acceptable to all stakeholders. The result is that the Valley continues to bleed and innocent lives continue to be lost every single day. In this context, while it is laudable that Mr. Rajnath Singh remains confident that his government will be able to find a permanent solution to the problem, one tends to be sceptical as to whether the many fangled issues can indeed be resolved and whether the Valley can become a zone of peace. It is an accepted fact that the situation has been exacerbated largely due to the continuous interference of Pakistan and the influx of militant outfits which have been creating havoc not only by unleashing mayhem but also by poisoning the minds of the youth and forcing them to wage war against their own homeland. Recent exposés prove the link between extremist outfits and agencies in Pakistan. It is time that the government appreciates that Kashmir is not a problem like any other and overnight solutions are well nigh impossible. And for any government initiative to succeed, it has to first win over Kashmiris and prevail on them to swear allegiance to India.
C.V. Aravind,
Bengaluru
The Home Minister’s determination to find a permanent solution to the Kashmir issue is laudable. However it is doubtful whether the government has drawn a workable blueprint to achieve this objective in the last leg of its rule. Whenever there a problem at the border arises, the government talks about retaliatory action at the time and place of India’s choice. Such provocative statements only distance us from solving the issue. After the so-called surgical strike, BJP ministers and its leaders spoke as if Pakistan has been silenced for ever. Subsequent events have only proven the fallacy of such statements. On the Kulbhusan Jadhav case, the hype was unwarranted as the World Court has faulted so far only the procedural parts adopted by Pakistan and not decided on the tenability of that country’s right to execute him as of now. We have to await the final judgment on this. India should have underplayed the interim relief so as to keep open diplomatic channels to save Mr. Jadhav’s life. We should constantly remind ourselves that we are dealing with a country that has been at loggerheads with since Partition and also being supported by China — another neighbour — with full might. Delicate handling of the Kashmir issue is the need of the hour and propensity to flare up to be curtailed.
V. Subramanian,
Chennai
The declaration is a source of amusement. Is there nothing in this universe that the Modi government has not yet promised? What Mr. Singh has said has been the same old thing we have been hearing ever since the government came to power in 2014. Wasn’t there some analogy of a head for a head? Instead, Pakistan continues to behead our jawans. A veteran politician such as Rajnath Singh needs to measure his statements carefully. What is the government’s Pakistan policy?
Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee,
Faridabad
