Opinion Face saver
The editorial Yes,no,minister rightly raises a question mark over S.M. Krishnas capabilities as foreign minister.
The editorial Yes,no,minister (IE,July 27) rightly raises a question mark over S.M. Krishnas capabilities as foreign minister. Krishnas visit to Pakistan was a fiasco as he played right into the hands of his Pakistan counterpart S.M. Qureshi. It was disastrous for our foreign minister to tacitly approve of Qureshis reaction to Union Home Secretary G.K. Pillais remark. Pakistan wanted an excuse to scuttle the talks and Krishna apparently obliged. The pertinent point was to force Pakistan to act against the perpetrators of the Mumbai attack,which was lost in the din. Pakistan is desperately seeking a face-saving method to wriggle out of this tricky situation. India should not only put more diplomatic pressure to expose the ISIs hand but also make sure that our efforts are coordinated and dont allow Pakistan to escape without paying a price.
Ashok Goswami
Vox populi
The editorial Yes,no,minister was realistic and voiced the feelings of crores of Indians. Just after the Islamabad talks everyone was blaming Qureshi for his irresponsible statements. Although Qureshi showed his diplomatic immaturity,many Indians feel that our foreign minister didnt do his job very effectively and then he tried to hide his incompetence by blaming the home secretary. Pillais statement about the involvement of the ISI in 26/11 was not the sole cause for the diplomatic fiasco in Islamabad. As foreign minister,Krishna should have the authority and power to handle such issues skilfully. People cant digest such things in international dealings,and it becomes automatically sensitive when the country concerned is Pakistan. Besides,the foreign ministers role is crucial in the era of globalisation. In rapidly changing international political equations,we need a competent foreign minister.
Vivek R. Jadhavar
Osmanabad
Our own way
This refers to K. Subrahmanyams Leaks and open secrets and Amulya Gopalakrishnans The unclassifiable (IE,July 28). Although this is not to flatter ourselves,India is yet to benefit from reading the Henderson-Brooks report on what went wrong in the 1962 Sino-Indian war or the truth about Bofors. That speaks for the rigidity of the powers-that-be to keep the public in the dark,though its the countrys image that took a beating in both cases.
As for the US embarrassment now,what stands disclosed vis-à-vis India surprises none,at least not in this country. American foreign policy,if theres one in clear terms,is that it wants to dominate the world at a great cost to itself. America patronised Pakistan in unimaginable ways,and now has it not come to grief? The only tragedy is that India has lately started heeding American advice as regards Pakistan and,in the process,pocketing episodes like 26/11. All one can hope for,after WikiLeaks,is that well stop being deferential to the American wishlist as far as Pakistans misbehaviour is concerned.
Prasad Malladi
Nidadavole
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