Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Affirming CDS
8226; The article by Admiral Arun Prakash 8216;Missing chief of defence staff8217; IE, August 27, lends urgency to the need for a CDS for better management of India8217;s defence. The 8216;three equal chiefs8217; structure has many drawbacks. Prakash quotes authoritatively from government files but fails to disclose that the Indian air force has strong reservations about such an appointment. Field Marshal S.F. Manekshaw nearly became CDS in 1972, but the late ACM, Pratap Lal, opposed his elevation. More recently, after the Kargil war, the senior-most chief, Admiral Sushil Kumar, was considered, but the IAF was again opposed to this elevation. This suits the bureaucracy, and the defence secretary executes the duties of coordination required of the CDS. But in a war situation, this will not work. The Kargil war proves this. The appointment of CDS will need affirmative action by India8217;s political leadership. This has been the experience in the US, the UK, Italy and Japan, where a joint chief was instituted last year.
8212; Cmde retd Ranjit B. Rai
New Delhi
Fund, not lives?
8226; BLASTS have been occurring with sickening regularity. The governments of the day believe their job is done once the compensation is announced. Nowhere else in the world is human life so cheap. Now the prime minister himself has come out with the brilliant idea of creating a permanent fund for such tragedies. He does not seem to have the will to come down heavily on the perpetrators or stop or reduce the frequency of such incidents. Creating a fund is the easy way out. Do the people in power believe that the citizens of this country are fools? Does the government of the day have the political will to take on the terrorist elements? Time has come for ordinary citizens to answer these questions and compel politicians to act.
8212; P.H. Bhanage
Stability calculus
8226; THIS is with reference to you editorial, 8216;Nuclear dil8217; IE, August 31. It is frequently reported that the Congress is playing into the hands of the Left parties. I would hesitate to buy this idea. The hard fact is the Congress has less than 150 MPs in a House of 542.
Under these circumstances, the UPA chairperson has maintained a not-so-threatening balance of power among the parties of the coalition. Rising prosperity in post-reform India demands political stability. The Congress is mature enough to know this.
8212; Naval Langa Ahmedabad
Beautiful game
8226; WHO would have ever thought that Baichung Bhutia8217;s men would win the 13th ONGC Nehru Cup? Who would have dreamt that the country that has a FIFA ranking of 112 would succumb meekly yes, I watched that match to India, with a ranking of 151? At last the Indian football team, under the leadership of Baichung Bhutia, is coming good.
Special thanks are due to the India coach, Bob Houghton. It was his focused coaching that enabled the Indian boys to do the improbable. I second what former Indian captain and legendary striker, Chuni Goswami, had to say after the match, 8220;I am sure football will now get a fillip. Cricket may have more popularity now, but soccer is the people8217;s game. And youngsters will now be inspired to take up the game in large numbers.8221;
8212; Bidyut K. Chatterjee
Faridabad
