The winners of Rs 3,000 are...

 

 

No more terrorism

Your cover story on terrorism was terrific and gave a totally different perspective. The recent serial blasts across India have made us re-think the competency of our security and police forces in fighting terrorism. These blasts have clearly indicated that terrorists can strike at any place. Terrorism's capacity to destroy life, economy, and the sovereignty of countries is tremendous, so is its ability to devalue democratic tradition. Foreign insurgencies also gain support when they are given refuge from segments of the society; therefore, the maturity of the Indian society is always on trial when the country is trying to fight these agencies. It is a war which India cannot afford to lose, it is a war which has to be fought through the mechanism of intelligence, and by removing some of the social discontent which in some areas does result in insurgency. India is a soft target. Only by upgrading, modernising and tightening our anti-terror defense mechanism can we hope to fight the ever-looming terror threat.

Rukmani Devi
via mail Shameful indeed!

This refers to the the cover story 'Will Congress and BJP...' by Arindam Chaudhuri (TSI August 3). It was sad and shameful to see MPs brandishing bundles of notes. The poor quality of debate on the Indo-US nuclear deal, mud-slinging, etc., exhibited the deteriorating standard and quality of Parliamentry proceedings. The ruling party, its allies and the opposition are equally responsible for this shameful state. Whether the nuclear deal is good or bad for India, the coming time will tell; but the fall out has tarnished the Parliament. As your editorial mentioned, it is literally a case of democracy being raped. Also, it is in good interest of our nation that BJP and Congress should come closer. But, as Kipling has very aptly said, “Oh, East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet”. Still let us hope that in the interest of our nation, some good sense may prevail, as there is nothing impossible in love and politics.

Dr SK Aggarwal
via mail Soldiers for hire

Private Military Companies have increased substantially since the end of the cold war. The reduction of numerous armies led to an army of 'unemployed' best-trained career soldiers. This was an opportunity these companies grabbed with both hands. The US has encouraged the use of the private sector in all facets of the war on terror. Your editorial painstakingly shows that there are indeed thousands of soldiers with PMCs who’ve been given a licence to kill, their services available to the highest bidder. Your editorial truly delves into the real-life exploits of the PMCs, showing how the privateers have continued to conduct battle in the wake of the Colonial Age. The rise of the PMC is rightly related to the political desire in the US of limiting the uniformed head counts in combat conditions. A good read for everyone who seeks to understand where we are and where we're going.

Raghunath Sharma
via mail