• Im grateful to Shekhar Gupta for reminding us that scare-mongering is very damaging to us. Some journalists and politicians are trying to take advantage of reportedly aggressive incursions by China. India,in 2009,is not under-prepared,as it was in 1962,for any misadventure by our adversaries. China knows it too. Our scare-mongering friends should know that the Indian and Chinese armies have been playing cat-and-mouse games for long. The intention is to test preparedness,find gaps and locate depth of defences,not to start a war. Both armies move in and out,without any skirmish; theres no firing as often happens on our north-western borders.
In the early 80s,my unit helped deploy a tank across the border through a pass near Sikkim,eyeball to eyeball,to tell the Chinese to back off. It was the first instance of the Indian army taking a tank up so high and close to the Chinese army. Our action forced them to stop their aggressive manoeuvres. This was done quietly,without any media hype. So,whats the big deal now? We should read Guptas suggestion and calm down. Meanwhile,we are strengthening our borders unobtrusively and as quietly as possible.
A.I. Nomani
Act quietly
• One hopes that the PM and the NSA are correct about China; that is,that the media hype is indeed more than the threat. History shows the price one pays for not reading the writing on the wall. True,India is not the India of 1962; but neither are China and Pakistan. The two countries have a pact by the logic of an enemys enemy is a friend. If a big and powerful US is wary of China,why are we trying to look the other way? Instead of making statements to soothe the public and pacify the Chinese,the PM should quietly strengthen our defences. That would do more to keep the enemy at bay.
R. Gupta
Mind the step
• The editorial Not so collegial rightly pointed out that when some of our senior-most lawyers publicly cast aspersions on a high court chief justice about to become an SC judge,it calls into question the basis of public trust in the court appointing its own. When some of the most eminent legal luminaries have asked for a comprehensive inquiry into the allegations against Justice Dinakaran,it requires serious attention. Our judicial system should bear in mind that its independence depends on public respect and the quality of justice it dispenses. For this,it should be ensured that only men of integrity and character sit on the bench. The judiciary should keep its eyes wide open.
Dilbag Rai
