This refers to the editorial "Peshawar's murdered children" (December 18). The cowardly and dastardly act by terrorists, killing 132 schoolchildren in Pakistan, has once again shown the cruel and inhuman face of terrorism. It should shake the conscience of the Pakistani establishment to stop supporting any kind of terrorism from its soil. As Hillary Clinton rightly pointed out few years ago: "You can't keep snakes in your backyard and expect them only to bite your neighbours." It is an opportunity for both India and Pakistan to co-operate and jointly combat the growing menace of terrorism, as both have been its victims.
Now, India cannot afford to wait for an attack to happen and must evolve a coherent and comprehensive counter-terrorism policy. There is a need for a strong legal framework and strengthening the hands of security agencies to effectively deal with the threat of terrorism. There is also an urgent need for reforms in the country's intelligence apparatus, which has failed on numerous occasions in the past. There should be better co-ordination among the various investigative and intelligence organisations operating across India because by the time the information reaches the forces on the ground, it is too late.
Reya Amrawat Jodhpur
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