Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Face real challenges

Sir, — Malini Parhasarathy's article gives perspective to a discussion on the approaches to solving the seemingly intractable Kashmir problem. One hopes that it helps nudge the Vajpayee administration to rethink its Kashmir policy and initiate new approaches based on bilateralism and engagement, just as an Editorial in an American newspaper did with the Lyndon Johnson administration 34 years ago. It then argued that the Johnson administration was mistaken about Vietnam and was ignoring the real threats facing America. (According to the Washington Post, the former Secretary of State, Dean Acheson, took a copy of the Editorial to the White House, and told Johnson that it represented his own thinking.

A few days later Johnson announced a shift in policy with greater emphasis on diplomacy rather than military means for a solution.)

The key question facing the Vajpayee administration is whether India should lose sight of the real challenges facing the country and devote blood and treasure in a "battle" with Pakistan.

No one has calculated the enormous cost imposed on both India and Pakistan by this confrontation. The time has come for both sides to move towards constructive engagement to end the dispute.

Sundaram Sankaran,

Kensington, Maryland, U.S.

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