The killing of insurgents who sought refuge across the Myanmar border is no big deal for an army of India’s size. Perhaps, the brouhaha over the incident by the Modi government was, and is still, unnecessary (“ >Govt. plays down ‘hot pursuit‘ claims ”, June 12). Indeed, the operation is ridiculously small when compared to the liberation of Bangladesh by Indira Gandhi. Also, what was the need for the government and media channels to continually engage Pakistan in a war of words over this military operation? Rather than warn Pakistan over and over again, why can’t India conduct a similar surprise raid into Pakistan Occupied Kashmir which harbours countless terror camps? Even hot pursuit by the Indian Army into PoK territory can be justified on the grounds of self-defence. It is the only solution available to India against unprecedented acts of terrorism by Pakistan.
When Israel raided Entebbe, a town in Uganda, in 1976, to redeem hostages, it was a move that was supported by western nations as the only recourse available to Israel to combat international terrorism. Let us not forget this.
Kangayam R. Narasimhan,
Chennai
The Indian media never seems to learn its lessons. It was media overdrive in Nepal following the devastating quake that soured relations with Kathmandu. Now, can we afford to face a similar situation with Myanmar? When we are talking about regional peace and cooperation, the sovereignty of our neighbouring countries should be respected. We already have disturbed relations with Pakistan and China. We cannot afford to antagonise Myanmar. The military operation across the Indo-Myanmar border was one of the most successful operations by the Indian Army in recent times and the Myanmar government should have thanked.
Dhruba Jyoti Borah,
New Delhi
Right from the beginning, India should have played out this cross-border raid with more tact and discretion. The Indian Army and the media should have also avoided bragging too much about the incident. It is surprising how the foreign office misread the consequences arising out of the plan. No nation with self-respect will be quiet about the violation of its borders.
A.Thirugnanasambantham,
Coimbatore
