'Pakistani army has staged a coup and dismissed a legitimate government'

On the border of peace"It is ironical that as soon as India has a stable government Pakistan's is destabilised. How can peace progress in such an environment?"Ahmad Ali,AligarhMurder of Democracy Pakistan never learns from its history ("Marching to the Brink," October 25). Widespread rejoicing was the initial reaction when General Zia-ul-Haq drove out Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1977-the disappointment thereafter was historic too. In response to one mess or another, the generals have deemed it fit to oust politicians. If it had not been for its geo-strategic location which impinges on the interests of the US, Pakistan would have been long consigned to the junk-yard of history. It is a failed nation state with frontiers that have long collapsed inwards containing the enemy within. Bibhu Dutt Padhi, Calcutta The BJP-led coalition government must be wary of any conciliatory gestures that General Pervez Musharraf makes towards India. He needs to buy time to consolidate his power before embarking on his pet project of "liberating Kashmir from India". The only stability this current coup will bring is that Pakistan will plan and execute a jehad in Kashmir with certainty. Basil Gomez, on e mail The Pakistani army has staged a coup and dismissed a legitimate government and like Afghanistan it has taken a giant leap back. Will the world, especially the US, stop equating India with Pakistan now? Even in the most unstable of times, India has never been in danger of military occupation. One hopes that now the US will realise its folly in supporting Pakistan, that is if it is serious about fighting terrorism and fundamentalism. Sahana Singh, Delhi A democratically elected government should be allowed to last its full term. People of Pakistan must not forget that this is the very same government that they elected. What will they do if the military does not live up to their expectations? Who will topple the military government? The role of military in a country is to protect it against the enemy, not govern. Kumar Subramanian, on e mail Balance the Ledger Though the people of Andhra Pradesh have reiterated their faith in Chandrababu Naidu and voted him back to power, his so-called reforms are yet to show results ("Artful Dodger", October 25). The people of the state should be concerned about the money that he has borrowed from international financial institutions. The public has a right to know how this borrowed money is being spent by the chief minister now. Naidu must come out with a white paper on all the schemes and present an account of the expenditure. Kaipa Srinivasa, KurnoolIdols after the heart Movie stars and sports celebrities are replacing models in advertisements because these icons have more that just perfect features and great bodies to offer ("Star Power", October 25). They have fame and wealth which are the goals of today's youth. The younger generation identifies with their personal lives and the success they have made of it. They are in fact better role models than models. Mahesh Kumar, Delhi Enslaved by a Dynasty A comparatively happy ending for Sonia Gandhi ("The Queen Has Failed", October 25). Not only does she retain power instead of taking moral responsibility for the Congress debacle and resigning as party president, she has also been unanimously elected as the leader of the Opposition. India's oldest political party should re-evaluate the charisma of Sonia and her children now that they have garnered lesser seats in the Lok Sabha than in the days of the charisma-less P.V. Narasimha Rao. Rishi Raj Gupta, Lucknow Vajpayee Victory: Defining its context and implications If this is the varaha avatar for Vajpayee and his Government, then by the same token the Congress must be in its Kalki mode ("Vajpayee's Third Wave", October 25). Having run through its quota of avatars, barring one in the last 50 years, the Congress is obviously on its way to self-destruction. The Indian electorate has ensured that the party annihilates itself rather than the nation. Usha Dravid, Mysore Building icons is deleterious Prime Minister Vajpayee and the BJP should not misread the 1999 mandate as unconditional victory. In fact, as indicated by Jairam Ramesh, he has quite a few daunting tasks ahead. The moral fervour of Vajpayee augurs well for the image of Indians both at home and abroad. However, he must govern assertively and strive to implement programmes which will lift India out of its economic morass. K.S. Gupta, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. While Jairam Ramesh has written an eloquent piece on what Vajpayee's victory does and doesn't mean, I wonder if he will have the courage to write as candidly on the reasons why the Congress performed so pathetically. Columnists should not be mouthpieces of political parties. INDIA TODAY seems to be fascinated by the literary skills of (non) leaders of the Congress. Ganesh Venimadhavan, on e-mail The frequent coverage of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty is inappropriate. Was it not enough that in the past Rajiv Gandhi, a rank amateur in politics, took over the reigns of the country? Commenting on the actions and reactions of Sonia, Priyanka or Rahul amounts to giving them a chance to express their opinions without them having worked to have the right to do so. Congress has indeed been converted into a private estate. This worship of dynasties, though it elicits compliments in the drawing rooms of the elite in Delhi, must stop. N. Setty, Sydney, Australia Waiting in Vain It is noteworthy that the insurgency-infested North-east had a free and fair election with a moderate voter turnout ("Confidence Vote", October 25). But like always the coverage was not comprehensive. There is hardly any analysis or projection about the why and wherefore of the voters from these states. Surely people in the North-east deserve better. Muktikam Phukan, Duliajan, Assam Minority Messiahs? It was very disturbing to see the emerging trends in Uttar Pradesh in the recent general elections ("Awesome Twosome", October 18). What is more distressing is that political parties which brazenly admit they would like to see the country go to elections frequently still manage to win seats. The victory of the two individuals, Mayawati and Mulayam Singh Yadav sends a shiver down one's spine. I wonder when the electorate of India will realise the dangerous game these so-called messiahs of the minorities are playing. Tarun Bhardwaj, ChandigarhBoost the Morale The fact that unlike mahesh Bhupathi, Leander Paes or the Amirtrajs, Sunil Kumar Sipaeya does not hail from a family of tennis players makes his effort even more commendable ("Hard Won Glory",October 25). The sports authorities must make an extra effort to boost his career. Winning in games like tennis, especially at an international level, brings much honour to the country. Sipaeya should not be forced to opt out of the sport for lack of sponsorship. Sweta Sinha, PatnaPublished By: AtMigration Published On: Nov 8, 1999 00:00 IST--- ENDS ---

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'Pakistani army has staged a coup and dismissed a legitimate government'

"It is ironical that as soon as India has a stable government Pakistan's is destabilised. How can peace progress in such an environment?"

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