Letters to The EDITOR: Kudus to Indian Army

It's heartening to know that the Chinese People Liberation Army (PLA) handed over the 17-year-old boy Miram Taron from Zido in the Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh to the Indian Army at Wacha-Damai interaction point in Arunachal Pradesh today.

The matter of Miriam's kidnapping incident was first reported by BJP MP from the state Tapir Gao, though Chinese PLA denied the kidnapping allegation, instead, China claimed: "illegally entered Chinese territory and then was routinely questioned, quarantined and observed by relevant border control regulations, and given humanitarian assistance." Kudos to our Army for pursuing the case meticulously with the PLA and safely securing our Shri Miram back home. This is not the first time earlier in March 2020, a 21-year-old youth was kidnapped by China's PLA from the Asaphila area in the same district and was later returned to Indian authorities after two weeks. Or on September 3, 2020, five youth of the Tagin community from the Arunachal Pradesh - who were engaged as porters for carrying supplies for the Indian Army - were also captured by the Chinese PLA from near a patrolling point, Sara 7 on the McMahon line (the imaginary boundary) returned home after 10 days. The reason for this type of dispute with China and only our citizens are continuously harassed due to Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh sharing the international boundary with China. People from Arunachal Pradesh often go to the interior areas for hunting and may have crossed the border. To stop it permanently some barbed wire barricade on the border with China or another method to be applied. Who knows one day it will not create a major problem for both nations?

Bjdyut Kumar Chatterjee,

Faridabad 121005

Award wapsi gang

After a brief lull another 'AWARD WAPSI GANG' has emerged comprising Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Anindya Chatterjee and Sandhya Mukherjee, all from West Bengal, a state once ruled by the Leftists, who refused to accept national civil awards awarded to them for their distinguished services to the nation by the Centre before Republic Day. We all know that Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee is a very fine gentleman and a hardcore leftist who was the CM of West Bengal for a decade during whose tenure political violence was the order of the day in the state. A storm in the teacup like the situation was created by some in a few leading TV channels of the nation at this development glorifying the above three for their act of refusing to accept the awards. But as a nationalist Indian with some knowledge about the nation's independence struggle, I do feel that this issue should not be an issue at all because –

1) The leftists never played any role in the nation's independence movement.

2) They never believe in the constitution.

3) Communism and Democracy are poles apart.

4) The leftists' loyalty to the nation was always doubtful by their roles during Chinese aggression in 1962.

5) Their commitments to the common people of the nation were tested during the 1975 Emergency period, a dark chapter of the nation's history.

6) Hence, I do strongly believe that the present government's decision to select the above mentioned three for the nation's civil award was wrong. They simply do not deserve it as they always have extra-territorial loyalty.

Dr Ashim Chowdhury,

Guwahati.