Time for action

Sir, - It was heartrending to see the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister feel helpless to do anything more than weep in his moment of anguish and weakness. Nevertheless, he managed to save the situation by raising the question whether we have been right in tolerating for over a decade the cross-border terrorism in its most virulent manifestation, when the U.S. has not thought it fit to wait even for a day to make the world understand about the intensity of its emotions. In contrast, it is not at all inspiring that our Ministers do nothing more than issue routine statements condemning Pakistan or asking for extradition of terrorists such as Masood Azhar whom, the External Affairs Minister, Mr. Jaswant Singh, had the privilege of accompanying to Kandahar not long ago.

The Indian Government is still not prepared to even declare when its supposedly patient posturing would cease and under what circumstances. Of course, it requires tremendous courage of conviction on the part of India to act decisively at this juncture even defying the bogey of nuclear conflict.

The message that we would not be prepared to compromise at any cost on certain principles (basically of international law) should firmly be driven home to world leaders.

N.S. Sankararaman,

Chennai

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