Will the iron fence save a tree hollowed by termites?

SHOULD we put our trust in Musharraf's "naya dil"? Or should we look at the nature of the State and society in Pakistan? What is poured into children in madrassas? In "non-religious" schools in Pakistan? What is the relationship of the Islam pasand parties, terrorist groups and the ruling establishment in Pakistan?

Over sixty thousand persons have been killed by terrorist-related violence in India in the last twenty years. What transforms a believer into a killing-machine? What lessons have we learnt in fighting terrorism?

Vast tracts of the country are being annexed by Bangladeshi infiltrators. What does this hold for the security of the country? What consequences have already come about for our elections? Who is knitting terrorist and Islamic organizations together in our Northeast? What danger does this spell? What danger does the unrelenting radicalization of Bangladesh itself hold for us?

Will China not translate its economic might into military might? Is it not already doing so? Why does it keep assisting Pakistan - with know-how about missiles, atomic weaponry? Myanmar has become a dependency of China. Bangladesh has entered into a defence pact with it. The relationship between Pakistan and China is described by them as between lips and teeth. Tibet has been militarized. What does this spell for us? What does China's new strategic doctrine mean for countries that lie on its rim- as India does?

Will the USA or Russia do our work for us?

Does the way that institutions of State are being hollowed not constitute the even greater, and immediate threat? Which is the idea that has not been proposed? What happens to recommendations that are "accepted", on which "action is taken"?

But how can even institutions of State be rectified when superciliousness becomes the ideology of the media?

With a wealth of evidence, ARUN SHOURIE spells out imperatives for defence beyond the military.

A must for our times.