THIS is apropos reports, `Nukes cannot be used as equalisers, US congressional panel told` (June 2) and `India joining NSG will escalate nuclear race in South Asia: US senator` (May 26).

The first one quotes two US think-tank experts on South Asia as telling a congressional panel that nuclear weapons cannot be used by Pakistan as equalisers for matching India`s influence in the region.

However, the ranking Democrat Senator Ben Cardin referred to the other report (second one ) in which Senator Edward Markey had said that the Indian membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group would cause a `never-ending action-reaction` nuclear race in South Asia.

Mr Cardin remarked that Senator Markey`s observation was absolutely accurate. He then asked the experts. What was said by the two `experts`, Alyssa Ayers and Sadanand Dhume, who are both Indian-American, like Nisha Biswal, the US Assistant Secretary for South Asia, cited in the second report, was a very clever attempt to portray India as a very reasonable power unwilling to use its nukes first, and Pakistan as a villainous nation that is a threat to others.

It is hoped US lawmakers will select unbiased officials and analysts to give them a true assessment of things that doesn`t mislead America.

Coming to Senator Cardin`s query, it reminds me of an incident (more like a joke) I had read in the Reader`s Digest during my childhood some decades back. A large truck, due to the driver`s miscalculation, got stuck under a bridge, being just a few inches higher than the clearance. Police and other folks arrived to try and dislodge the vehicle.

Various proposals were made, like sawing a few inches off the top of the truck; or dismantling the bridge and so on.

None was found acceptable to all concerned. A small boy who had been witnessing all this, tugged at a police officer`s sleeve and said, `Officer, why don`t you just deflate the tyres a bit?` This was done and the problem was beautifully solved.

If the US sets aside real political preferences and, along with other world powers, compels India to hold a plebiscite in Kashmir, the nukes won`t be required.

Hafeezullah Karachi