Grim turn, easy targets
The series of targeted killings, of Kashmiri Pandits and others, by elements in Kashmir is baffling. Terror continues despite multiple policy experimentations to contain such violence. The much desired pan-India response is missing, particularly from academics, the intelligentsia and political parties. Given the gravity of the situation, it is desirable that the administration engages proactively with all politicians and social activists in order to build consensus in defeating these dark designs and the plan to create social panic. Politicians of all hues too have a responsibility to shed their hidden agendas of vote bank politics and help the administration.
Brij Bhushan Goyal,
Ludhiana, Punjab
There is no doubt that civilian fears are on the ascendance in the Kashmir Valley. I wonder whether there is light, leave alone some light, at the end of the tunnel. The place is no longer paradise and the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in the 1990s should serve as a lesson.
Mithali Bhat,
Jammu
Of course, the Centre can do many things immediately to ensure the security of communities. But, ultimately, only the affected people are the best judges — because of the inherent capability of people to sense subtle threats to life — to decide whether they can live safely or not. Hence, it is important for the Government to listen to the voices of the affected communities and address their concerns. It will not hurt to show some flexibility at this point.
A. Venkatasubramanian,
Tiruchi, Tamil Nadu
Despite the measures being taken by the Centre, it is disheartening to read that the Pandits face difficult times. They are bound to be frustrated by the turn of events. There need to be pragmatic steps.
Bijumon P.N.,
Mattuthvalom, Idukki, Kerala
If the Centre is incapable of ensuring the safety of the Pandits and others who reposed faith in the Centre’s assurances, there is not a morsel of justification to continue to keep them against their wishes in a hostage-like situation. For the Centre to treat them as guinea pigs and then have them become targets is a most distressing scenario. It is equally abominable that mainstream parties in the Valley treat each such killing with a sense of schadenfreude to settle scores with the Centre with a ‘we-told-you-so’ posture.
Ayyasseri Raveendranath,
Aranmula, Kerala.
It is high time the Government starts a political dialogue with Kashmir’s stakeholders. The military approach to the Kashmir issue only seems to have created more challenges. It is unknown why the famous political strategy of ‘insaniyat (humanity)’, ‘jamhuriyat (democracy)’and ‘Kasmiriyat (composite culture) has been set aside.
P.H. Hema Sagar,
Secunderabad
Language issue
It was assuaging, but only to an extent, to read the Union Education Minister’s remarks (Page 1, “‘No language is less than Hindi, English’”, June 3). One can only recall the words of Jawaharlal Nehru, that English shall remain the associate official language.... Language chauvinists must realise that people in South India too have a strong passion towards the (southern) languages they speak. There needs to be a solid assurance about English to ease tensions.
Mani Natarajan,
Chennai
On the Congress
It is true that leaders of the Congress are themselves trying hard to make India ‘Congress-less’. Their inertia in even identifying a leader is astounding. If the party wants to revive, it has to start from the grass-roots level, with workers committed to its ideology.
K.C. Varghese,
Manimala, Kottayam, Kerala
