It is heartening to see grassroots-level coverage of the situation in Kashmir. One feels solidarity with the average Kashmiri, whose fundamental right to exist peacefully has been repeatedly violated. While the newspaper has done its duty in highlighting the concerns of citizens there against the perceived high-handedness of the state, one wonders if these voices of dissent would elicit a response from the corridors of power. Here, the balanced and sensitive approach of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the issue comes to mind. Without the goodwill of the Kashmiris, no fundamental policy decision regarding their homeland can succeed. And such sensitivity and realisation is what differentiates statesmen from mere politicians (Ground Zero, “Valley of discontent”, Sept. 14).
Rosen Brar,
Patiala, Punjab
