Look within
How can four militants cross the LOC and kill 18 soldiers (“Pakistan is a terrorist state, says Rajnath Singh after holding high-level meeting on Uri attack”)? What were the security forces doing? This is home-grown attack. How long you will keep on blaming Pakistan for every failure on your part? – MQ Valliani
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Uri was no battle, nor an attack on India from outside (Crossing the lines: Uri is a reminder that proxy-wars cannot be fought the conventional way). The problem lies within. Disgruntled citizens and soldiers need a better deal. Thoughts of special forces and commands betray naïveté. – Ali Uddin
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India can never win a proxy war against Pakistan as long as there are more Pakistan sympathisers in India than there are India sympathisers in Pakistan. – Rajesh Chaudhary
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Peace between these two nuclear countries can solve the poverty of millions (The Indian challenge is to march on for peace amid the rising drumbeat of war). – Merun/Qama Valliani
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Thanks a lot for such an awesome article (Keyboard commandos, here’s one simple reason why nuclear war is a bad, bad thing). I am going to share the link on Facebook for sure in order to have awareness in my people – or rather my Indian people, especially those who keep on questioning why don’t we go for a war.
Thank you so much for such a fantastic article. This is the first time I’m commenting on any of the articles in my life because you have the vision to guide the people as to why they should control their emotions and how they themselves could be the part of the change or revenge they want to have. – Rohan Dani
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Absolutely fantastic coverage (The Readers’ Editor writes: How has Scroll covered Uri?) Educative and patriotic in its real sense. I’m impressed, Scroll. Keep it up. – Mujahid Jafri
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With reference to the article on Pakistan media (Pakistan’s media was outraged that India would blame their nation for the Uri attacks), I have a factual question: If the Indian state is being rejected, how did elections happen? And IHK? Could you decode that please? – Vijayalakshmi Fernandes
Plainly stupid
Girish Shahane’s deductions as to the aftermath of Pakistan’s attacks on bases in Pathancoat and Uri, not to mention the earlier attacks in Bombay and New Delhi were worthy of reading and take note of (To make sense of Uri, India must understand courage, cowardice – and its own borders). Until, that is, he stumbled on his own brain and laid bare the vacuum that existed there. To suggest that Pakistan’s attacks are over the location of border is plainly stupid. That was settled for the foreseeable future by the Shimla Agreement. Perhaps, you unable to think honestly that far back.
Perhaps, you are unable to think. Pakistan has broken every agreement it signed with India. And you have the temerity to blame India. Why don’t you take your mask off? – Asit Dutta
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Shouting hoarse, calling names and using filthy abuses against anyone is unbecoming. It spoils the human feelings in the mind of common people for whom existential issues of food, clothing and shelter are much more important than Pakistan Zindabad or Bharat zindabad. The media on both sides of the border also appear to have been carried away by the slogans, perhaps because of reasons of competition.
I agree with the national mood of anger and search of means to ensure that such audacious incidents are stopped. A serious appraisal of the defence mechanism is needed, shortcomings found and removed and a national resolve reached by the entire polity, and then remedial and retaliatory measures taken.
I believe the national government is serious in taking remedial action at the place and time which suits national interest. Meanwhile more serious and effective efforts are required in Kashmir where the state and central governments must act to ensure peace. You must have peace at home to talk or act belligerent with your neighbour.
Precipitate action in haste or just camping on borders like Op Prakram is a futile exercise and making political moves. Modi should talk less and work more. He should be more determined and action minded like Indira Gandhi was in 1971 to achieve the national goal. For this, let us give him some time. – KK Vadhera
Hard facts
These are the ground realities (For all of India’s bluster, Pakistan still has every incentive to send militants across the border). Even then we have to ponder and generate a viable solution for the Kashmir issue. For these it can be recommended that the terrorist camps on the Pakistani side be dismantled covertly. The line of control and the international border must have reinforcements. – Ashok K Singh
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I’m utterly disappointed by Ahsan Butt’s narrative. I’m not going into history but considering the comparison of only how many Kashmiris got into mainstream politics in India and Pakistan answers it self. Nawaz Sharif’s party in Pakistan, the ruling party as such, has many Kashmiri leaders – all these Butts, Khawajas, Dars, Sheikhs are Kashmiris. Does this not mean that the Pakistani nation treats them as its own, or may be more? I am sorry at his biased thinking, but i can understand his mindset. – Jawwad Afridi
Liberal support
I agree with Shoaib Daniyal when he says liberals must support Modi in his realisation of reality (Liberals need to support – not mock – Modi for his U-turn on war with Pakistan after the Uri attack). My problem is I don’t want to. For five very uncomfortable years i saw and heard this man mouth untruths and claims and gibberish that no one could support by any stretch of imagination, without caring to explain anything or answer any questions. His dislike for explaining himself or answer any questions is still apparent in his disinclination to give interviews, except laughable ones given to supine sycophants. But his behaviour is more reminiscent of King Louis the XVI than anything else. My problem is: I want to point a finger and say, ‘I told you so’. I want to gloat over this pyrrhic victory that time has granted me. – Sachin Lohra
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When military response against military attack will never happen then what is the use of spending precious foreign currency to procure high cost and high techs foreign weapons? – AK Chattopadhyay.
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The hatred among liberals for the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not because they won and formed the government, but because of the lies, false claims and rhetoric they used to hoodwink the gullible and illiterate people of India, knowing fully well that they could and would not do what they promised.
At least the previous dispensation was clear about their Pakistan policy of “engagement in talks but still be on guard”, seeing Pakistan’s back-stabbing nature in the past.
Modi misjudged his aura which is propelled and bloated by a social media and internet army, and is limited to India. He, in his arrogance, miscalculated that he and he alone is the saviour of this region. He is the victim of his own image.
And for this reason till he doesn’t admit that he was wrong before 2014 or that he was wrong in the last two years on his Pakistan policy, he will not get support from liberals. He should at least be held accountable for what he said before becoming or after becoming prime minister. It is not that he will get away scot-free, without any criticism.
And that’s why I think your article is flawed. Whether he becomes a dove or goes back to being a hawk and gets success, he will not appreciate and acknowledge the support of liberals which is clearly evident from his past actions. He is a man who uses and discards the people who support him. So, why should liberals support him when the sun is shining on them? There should be no support and he should be left to prove himself. – Vishal Jindal
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Seven steps
It was an interesting article by Raghu Raman (Seven powerful ways India can attack Pakistan – without crossing the border). But the most common sense approach against Pakistan would be grant the right of self-determination to Kashmiris to end all this friction. Why did this idea not cross his mind is baffling to me. But I should know: he is an Indian. – Iqbal Bhawana
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It is a wonderful simple and pragmatic statement of facts. I salute the writer. I would like this article to get very wide readership. Instead of foolish jingoism, shouting and calling names and abusing the country and its rulers, let us follow the simple suggestions given herein and this will be very effective. I do hope the government which takes pride in demonstrating patriotism day in and day out also does its part in this economic confrontation. – KK Vadhera
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Raghu Raman has very nicely explained how we can defeat Pakistan without actually using our military power . We should not depend on any other country for any type of help. Slowly and steadily, we should start developing our own strength. If other countries can do it, so can we.
Who knows the countries which are supporting us today will support us tomorrow? So we should try and learn to fight all alone. Other countries will automatically support us because they need to do business and will not want to lose a country that has got so much buying power. – Nitin Kasture
