People light candles to pay tribute to CRPF soldiers who lost their lives in Pulwama terror attack, at Connaught Place in New Delhi on Sunday, February 17. PTI

Huge loss

Sir — The terrorist attack in Pulwama on a convoy of the Central Reserve Police Force — when a Jaish-e-Mohammad suicide bomber rammed his Scorpio SUV, laden with around 300 kilogrammes of explosives, into a bus — claimed the lives of 40 soldiers and injured numerous others. The ghastly attack was condemned by the prime minister, Narendra Modi, who has vowed that the sacrifice of the jawans will not be in vain. It is true that the entire nation stands in solidarity with the families of the martyrs. But, with a heavy heart, one must also ask how such an incident could take place right under the nose of Modi whose party, during the last election campaign, had promised to adopt a hard-line approach towards militancy in Kashmir and which basks in the glory of the Uri surgical strike. Modi must also answer why there has been a 176 per cent rise in the number of terrorist incidents in Jammu and Kashmir between 2014 and 2018.

It is ironic that the government chooses to focus only on the number of terrorists killed in a particular year, and ignores the fact that the recruitment of Kashmiri boys by militant groups has gone up from 88 in 2016 to 191 last year. Jammu and Kashmir is now under Central rule, and the governor, Satya Pal Malik, has admitted that the Pulwama attack was partly the result of an intelligence failure. The security forces could not detect the loading and movement of the explosive-laden vehicle. It was also known that the bomber, Adil Ahmad Dar, a resident of Pulwama, had joined the militants but the police could not trace him. These basic security lapses expose the larger official disregard for the lives of jawans.

It was the job of the intelligence bureau as well as the national security adviser, Ajit Doval, to keep India safe. Even if Doval did not step down from his post on his own, the prime minister should have demanded his resignation.

Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee

Faridabad

Sir — A survey has revealed that a number of commuters in Calcutta consider trams a viable mode of eco-friendly transport. They also seem to be willing to use them on a regular basis if the infrastructure is improved. This is particularly important, as the pollution level in the city was at a record high this winter, where vehicular emission was a major contributor. Efficient public transport could help reduce the number of private vehicles on the streets. Trams are powered by electricity instead of fossil fuels. The government must consider the upgradation of the tram system at the earliest.

Asmita Guha

Calcutta

Sir — The very fact that a convoy of 78 vehicles, carrying as many as 2,500 soldiers, was to take the highway should have prompted the authorities to provide an armed helicopter cover to the convoy. They should have also ensured that no other vehicles were allowed to use that route while the convoy was there.

The urgency and care that the armed forces deploy in sanitizing the paths for politicians should have been accorded to this convoy. The senior officers who only know how to extend royal treatment to their political masters and hardly care for the ordinary soldiers should be dealt with sternly.

This incident should serve as a wake-up call for all to be more vigilant at the borders. One must never underestimate the enemy nor celebrate armed strikes, as it will only fuel an endless game of vengeance. Such bragging has cost us the lives of our jawans.

B.K. Nundee

Calcutta

Sir — The act of terror that claimed the lives of 40 Indian soldiers must be condemned unequivocally. However, news reports suggest that people belonging to the Muslim community as well as Kashmiri students, who are in no way associated with the terror attack, are being targeted by angry mobs. No citizen should be allowed to take the law into their own hands. Their misplaced anger will lead to nothing more than the bloodshed of civilians.

Kashmir is a part of India; its citizens deserve to be treated on a par with those of any other state. It would be absurd to demonize the entire Hindu community on account of Hindutvavadi hooligans carrying out lynchings. Similarly, no one has the right to attack people belonging to Kashmir or a particular faith because of the actions of terrorists who claim to adhere to the same religion.

Noyonika Sen

Calcutta

Sir — The attack in Pulwama was cowardly and condemnable. The youth should be wary of those who misguide them in the name of religion or freedom. Violence is no solution to any problem. As an immediate step towards peace, both the government and religious leaders in Kashmir must ensure dialogue with the youth, who are falling prey to the false ideas peddled by terrorists. A concerted campaign of social reform might succeed where political and administrative outreach have failed. Pakistan must also undertake immediate measures to curb the activities of the terrorist groups that are based there.

Mohd. Umar

Mumbai