Indo-Pak Foreign Secy-level talks unlikely this week; Swaraj discusses issue with Rajnath

New Delhi, January 11

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said any individual or organisation that hurts the country should be given the same pain but how, when and where should be India’s choice, remarks which come in the backdrop of the Pathankot terror attack.Addressing an audience which consisted of top Army brass, including its chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag, the Minister said that history tells us that until those who inflict damage on others experience the same pain, they don’t change.“I am of the opinion, it should not be taken as a government thinking, I always believe that if anyone harms you, he understands the same language.“How, when and the place should be of your choice but if someone is harming this country, then that particular individual or organisation, I purposely used the words individual and organisation, should also receive the pain of such activities,” he said at a seminar organised by the Army here.Asked to elaborate, Parrikar later said, “Basic principle is that until we give them pain, whoever they may be, until then, such incidents will not reduce”.In a reference to the Pathankot attack, the Minister said the country was proud of its seven soldiers who laid down their lives but he is pained by the loss.“I don’t appreciate it. I have said that it is time we tell our soldiers that it is inevitable that we will lose some soldiers, and in this incident we lost one person in actual combat.“We should tell them to think of the concept of taking life of your enemy, enemy of the country, instead of giving your life. This is an important aspect,” he said.He said that while sacrifice is respected, what nation needs is to neutralise the enemy. Asked if that means there is a change in policy from the previous UPA government, Parrikar retorted, “If someone comes and hammers you, you should keep quiet? Was that the policy?“What I am saying is basically that history tells you that those who damage you, if they don’t realise what pain they inflict, then they don’t change”. — PTI Cong targets govt for uncertainty over talksNew Delhi: Tearing into Modi government’s Pakistan policy, the Congress on Monday faulted it for continued uncertainty over Indo-Pak Foreign Secretary-level talks, saying the foreign policy is not conducted in such a way. “The talks with Pakistan are schdeuled in four days. Till today, it is not clear whether they will be held…it is not the way foreign policy is conducted,” party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said. TNSFix responsibility for Pathankot attack: CPI Hyderabad: The CPI wants that responsibility ‘at the top’ should be fixed for not deploying Army in the counter operation. “There should be a thorough probe to find out how the terrorists entered. Whose fault is it among top officials in refusing to use the Army? If necessary, such officials should be changed,” CPI general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy said. PTIModi’s tolerance to terror should end: SenaMumbai: Advocating a strong response to the Pathankot terror strike, the Shiv Sena on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘tolerance’ to such attacks should end. “Our tolerance to terror attacks is commendable. But there is a limit. We pray that the tolerance of Modi to such attacks should end,” an editorial in the Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana said. PTIArvind Kejriwal to visit Pathankot, GurdaspurChandigarh: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal will visit Pathankot and Gurdaspur on January 13 and meet the families of the security personnel killed in the Pathankot attack. “He will meet the families of Havildar Kulwant Singh, Honorary Captain Fateh Singh and taxi driver Ikagar Singh,” Durgesh Pathak, national organisation-building head, AAP, said. PTI