The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : Grand folly

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Monday, Feb 23, 2009
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Grand folly

The editorial “Grand folly in Swat” (Feb. 21) rightly says the Islamabad-backed agreement between the NWFP government and the Tehreek-i-Nifas-i-Sharia Mohammadi (TNSM) will only embolden the militants in Swat and other parts of Pakistan. Islamabad might not have made a direct pact with the Taliban but has virtually surrendered to the dangerous fundamentalist outfit, which has wrought chaos and destruction in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Gururajan Ramachandran,

Udhagamandalam

* * *

The editorial was a perfect analysis of the situation obtaining in Malakand. Pakistan has indeed struck a Faustian bargain which it will rue soon as it has done countless times before.

Subramanyam Sridharan,

Chennai

* * *

Jubilant over their victory, the Taliban militants are sure to export their brand of jihad to India, especially Jammu and Kashmir. And prompted by the jihadis, the Pakistan army and the ISI may adopt a more aggressive posture towards India. This looks more possible now because the NWFP-TNSM deal has made the civilian government much weaker. The border region of Pakistan and Afghanistan is fast becoming the epicentre of global terrorism. India has no alternative but to make friends with the U.S. and Israel.

S. Raghunatha Prabhu,

Alappuzha

* * *

The end of the Musharraf era and the restoration of some kind of democracy in Pakistan gave an impression that the country was at last on the path of progress.

It now appears that the fundamentalists were only biding their time. They have now gained an upper hand and the government is left with no choice other than dancing to their tune.

P. U. Krishnan,

Udhagamandalam

* * *

The agreement between the NWFP government and the TNSM will only lead to the creation of a Frankenstein monster in the form of Taliban. New Delhi should back the brave media and human rights organisations in Pakistan by continuing its diplomatic engagement with the civilian establishment.

Kasim Sait,

Chennai

* * *

That the Pakistan government has accepted the Taliban’s obscurantist suzerainty over the Swat Valley is a matter of utmost concern. Change is inevitable but the Taliban is resisting change because it will affect its age-old power configuration. This explains its opposition to education, particularly of girls. The Taliban deserves to be eliminated from society because it is the most obscurantist and reactionary force on earth.

Asad Bin Saif,

Mumbai

* * *

Talibanisation is opposed to Islam which is based on glorious principles such as peace, tolerance, non-violence, and harmony. The Taliban has already closed down girls schools. It is only a matter of time before the Taliban conquers the whole of Pakistan and poses a serious threat to our country. All countries should collectively fight and destroy the Taliban.

Mumtaz Ali Khan,

Bangalore

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