Opinion On our own
Shekhar Guptas Goodbye,America rightly highlighted the likely exit of the US from Afghanistan.
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• Shekhar Guptas Goodbye,America rightly highlighted the likely exit of the US from Afghanistan. The recent summits on Afghanistan clearly indicated the unwillingness of the US and its allies for a long haul. Judging by past record,all thats left for the US to do is formalise the power transfer. But such a face-saving exit for the US would do India more harm than good. Pakistan will undoubtedly leverage this to its advantage and use every trick in diplomacy and otherwise to hit India hard. India needs to pull up its socks to safeguard its strategic interests. It can remain complacent at its own peril.
Robert Lhungdim
New Delhi
New strategies
• Inferring,as Shekhar Gupta does in Goodbye,America that the US will wriggle out of Afghanistan India will have to reshape its policy towards Pakistan. In this,dependence on Washington to mend Pakistans thinking will have to be replaced by a more proactive approach. Indias diplomatic success will lie in convincing its neighbour that not Kashmir but curbing terrorism is central to the survival of the two nations. Instead of the extremes of composite dialogue and no talks with Pakistan,New Delhi will have to calibrate its negotiating strategy to keep the momentum. Simultaneously,it will have to be well-prepared with alternatives if Indias security is threatened. A positive attitude towards Afghanistan will have to go beyond financial and technical support to establish a stable government there. Building relationships with the levers of power in the neighbourhood should form the core of Indias strategic thinking.
Y.G. Chouksey
• The editorial Reaching out again rightly opines that the offer of foreign secretary-level talks to Pakistan is welcome,since the earlier refusal to talk was constricting New Delhis room for manoeuvre. A durable peace with Pakistan is one of the many necessary conditions for effective governance and overall prosperity in the subcontinent. So its to Indias advantage to establish a working relationship. The editorial concludes rightly that it is a matter of incremental confidence-building steps towards a holistic engagement.
Dilbag Rai Chandigarh
Surprise visit
• P. Chidambaram made a categorical statement earlier saying full protection will be provided to all,including Australians,for the IPL. The Union home ministers word should be the final stand of the government. That being so,one fails to understand Sharad Pawar going,along with the BCCI president,and getting a special dispensation from Matoshree. Any explanation diluting the seriousness of Pawars visit will not carry conviction. There are certain established conventions as to how a senior Union cabinet minister should conduct himself. It would have been in the order of things if Pawar had issued a strong statement in support of Chidambarams earlier one.
K. Venkataraman
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