There are only two things in our lives that we as Indians can be absolutely certain of -- the sun rises in the east and that our valiant and spectacular armed forces will never ever lie to us. But I truly wonder if we deserve an armed force like this at all.
Frankly, it's probably simpler for them to handle a rogue state like Pakistan than us and our political bickering, that has deliberately or inadvertently put them in the center of a messy controversy.
There are three classes of political thoughts which are stoking the fire.
1. THE DOUBTERS: The ‘show me the proof’ variety takes the cake. To even imagine that the Army would be in political cahoots and stage the strike is appalling and drives a dagger into the morale of folk who do the toughest job. Completely unpardonable, not just because you give treacherous Pakistan a chance to gloat, but let down the very guys who put their lives on the line to keep us safe.
2. THE GLOATERS: This category of ‘chest thumpers’ are not praising the army for a job well done, but using a phenomenally successful job the army's done to reap political dividend. Equally reprehensible because this thought seeks to make the armed forces a political football.
3 THE WAR MONGERING MEDIA: Ensconced comfortably in studios, they are baying for Armageddon. Who's going to fight and die in that war? TV anchors? Columnists? The social media tribe? No it'll be our selfless soldiers who'll have to die to satisfy our bloodlust. A soldier is there to defend us not a tool for TRP ratings.
It is high time ordinary citizens who are witnessing this unholy spectacle say enough is enough and get our political and editorial class to pull back from this abyss of sheer madness.
Because patriotism is not measured by how viscerally we hate Pakistan but by how much we love and respect India and more importantly our fellow Indians of all religions, castes, ethnicities and identities. Fundamentally against our own frightening inner demons. That would be the litmus test of our patriotism
