“Enough is enough”

It has been so painful to watch visuals of Veterans and Veer Naris sitting on a dharna outside the residence of FM Jaitley, the whole day and late into the cold winter night. It smacks of utter indecency, insensitivity and arrogance that he did not bother to meet them, even though a fortnight earlier he had promised to revert to them within a week. It is even more shameful and despicable that Delhi Police did not permit other veterans to bring them food and blankets, obviously at his bidding.  

Our hearts go out to all those aged, infirm, and yet so indomitable veterans and ladies who have been carrying on with our struggle for justice on behalf of the entire veterans family. Even though many of us are unable to join them, being located outside Delhi, we fully share their anguish, anger and sense of humiliation.

Our struggle has gone on for over 200 days, but the Govt. has brazenly ignored it. Instead it has planted misinformation, clamped down upon media coverage, and quite shortsightedly even sowed divisions within our ranks, disregarding the irreparable harm that would cause to the very fabric of the Armed Forces. It is hardly a secret that Jaitley, goaded on by Babudom, is cussedly thwarting a just resolution, as retribution for his electoral defeat. His arrogance and myopia are driving veterans into a corner, and there is clear and present danger of an imminent showdown. 

It is high time that PM intervenes and brings us back from the precipice. He had received overwhelming support from the Defence Forces fraternity during the Lok Sabha polls, and he should not let that goodwill be eroded further.  

Name me one country in the world where Veterans have had to come out on the streets to demand justice. In the Indian context, it is unprecedented for a struggle to go on for over 200 days in an absolutely disciplined and peaceful manner, despite provocations. But, time has now come to say – “enough is enough”.  We cannot let elderly veterans and veer-naris suffer any more indignities, hardship and neglect at the hands of a callous Govt. There is no need to explain anything further to the Govt., media or public. Issues are crystal clear and our contention has been approved by two Lok Sabhas.

The selfless patriotism of the Armed Forces has never been in doubt – we have demonstrated it time and again during wars, counter-insurgency operations, riots and civil disturbances and natural calamities. Republic Day is an occasion when the entire Nation watches with immense pride the Armed Forces in their full ceremonial regalia. The Beating of the Retreat, which marks the end of Republic Day celebrations, should also mark the end of our self-imposed restraint if the Govt. continues to be unyielding.  Martyrs Day the following morning would be an appropriate occasion for us to launch the next phase of our struggle from the Amar Jawan Jyoti.

Outrageous and Irresponsible Media Coverage

What passes as Media debate on many TV channels is nothing but a farce, a tamasha. Participants shout and hurl insults at each other and the anchors goad them on, since such media circus apparently boosts TRPs. Many anchors behave like all-knowing experts and ram their own opinions and agenda. They seem to be a law unto themselves, smug in the mistaken belief that they can make or break reputations.

Outrageous coverage of the Pathankot attack has again highlighted that media has learnt nothing from its ineptness during the 26/11 terror strike.  A case in point is Arnab Goswami of Times Now, unarguably the most infuriating among anchors, whose boastful rants and verbal diarrhea are insufferable. Day after day he sought to badger Pakistani experts on his program to admit that the terrorists were from Pakistan. What for? If Musharraf and the Pakistani Govt could brazenly deny Osama bin Laden’s presence, did Arnab believe his verbal volleys will spook them into admitting the same? Instead, his cocky taunts provoked the Pakistanis to repeatedly ridicule our tardy response on ground, and the loss of seven precious lives in neutralizing the terrorists.  

Why should anchors such as Arnab Goswami provide a platform to Pakistanis to pour scorn on our Armed Forces? How demoralizing and painful it is for the Forces to be spoken of so humiliatingly by Pakistanis on Indian TV, much to the glee of their compatriots back home!  The valiant soldiers, who paid with their lives and limb for the bungling by the HM-NSA duo, and the Indian Armed Forces as a whole, were undeservedly exposed to ridicule by the stupidity of such conceited anchors.

It is high time that TV news channels are directed to rein in their errant anchors and news reporters. Many of them behave like armchair specialists, rather than just reporting. Often reporters interfere with the ongoing operation or the subsequent search and rescue, by aggressively pestering the personnel with their pesky questions. As everywhere else in the world, reporters should be strictly kept at a distance along with the general public. They must not be allowed to come in the way, or contaminate the spots where forensic evidence is yet to be gathered. 

Bungling and NOT Bad Luck

The entire Nation mourns the martyrdom of seven valiant soldiers who died fighting with utmost courage and fortitude. They ended up paying with their lives, NOT BECAUSE OF “THEIR BAD LUCK,” but for lapses and self-serving egotism right up the hierarchy. The HM-NSA duo, driven by hubris and turf considerations, (mis)applied distantly-located NSG, rather than utilizing battle-hardened troops right next door, which as per extant SOPs are always earmarked and undertake frequent rehearsals.  

 Will those responsible for this national embarrassment be held accountable? Oh No!  In the prevailing culture of scant public morality that is too much to ask. It’s true, heads did roll in the aftermath of 26/11, but they did not leave on their own volition; they were forced out kicking and screaming. Will that happen this time? Not likely.

Were it not for the tragic loss of valuable lives, one could have dubbed the overall response at the top echelons, bumbling and comical. The irony of Rajnath Singh and even the FM, Jaitley waxing eloquent on the airbase attack, with Parrikkar and Sushma Swaraj almost silent, despite the military and diplomatic implications being their domain, is not lost to observers at home and abroad. There are several troubling questions and signs, which have been extensively highlighted. The nefarious politician-smuggler-police nexus in Punjab has rendered the border porous. ISI is exploiting the growing disaffection among veterans and serving soldiers on a host of issues such as pay, pensions, working conditions, and the plight of Veer Naris and disabled soldiers. Soldiers are being increasingly deployed for sundry tasks (now reportedly for cleaning up the Ganges) for which the Civil Administration is well-equipped. This is at the expense of their training and well-earned respite after field area deployments.

Everyone knows where the problems lie, and what the solutions are. There is no dearth of expert committee reports. For instance, the Subrahmanyam and the Naresh Chandra committees among others had made very sound recommendations on the National Security apparatus, and the entire gamut of issues relating to multiagency coordination of intelligence and operations. But again the bureaucracy succeeded in stalling them, and let their parochial interests triumph over National Security. What’s the point of wasting so much time, effort and expense on such committees if they are ultimately to be consigned to cold storage.

It is time for the Nation to say, “Enough is enough.” Let this terror strike be a wake-up call. It is high time the PM shows firmness and resolve to bring some tangible coherence in policies and actions at the top. He has expended a lot of political capital on his overture to Nawaz Sharif, which this terror attack has eroded substantially. He can retrieve it somewhat by being visibly decisive and strong in putting the house in order, and not appear to be dithering as his predecessor.

Pathankot Attack – Some Troubling Questions

Even as I write this, the operation to neutralize Pakistani terrorists and to sanitize Pathankot Airbase is still on, although ironically the Home Minister had announced its “success” over 12 hours back. His singing the all-too-familiar paeans to the “brave jawans” and promising a “muh tor jawab,” were not-so-subtle, self-laudatory signals to the Nation that a catastrophe had been averted under his watch, since both the PM and RM were away. In distant Bengaluru, the PM too briefly acknowledged their valour and then resumed extolling the virtues of Yoga.  However, the RM was silent, perhaps self-effacingly, despite most forces involved being his responsibility.  

Do I sound cynical and angry? You bet; I am. To any soldier, serving or retired loss of lives cuts too close. It is personal. Why? Because all of us have seen at very close quarters what it really means for the grieving family and to the unit. Perfunctory lip-service by Netas on such occasions actually infuriates, rather than provide solace. Because, by now we all know how little the soldiers’ sacrifices and hardships mean to the Netas and Babus alike. Haven’t we all seen how the DESW actually torments the NOK and ESM, rather than work for their welfare? Is there a more glaring spectacle for the Nation’s conscience to behold, than the Govt ignoring the ESM’s protest at Jantar Mantar for the past 200 days? (Continued…..  For the complete post, click the link below to my Blog).   

Except for raising some glaring inconsistencies, I will not cover any operational aspects for obvious reasons. Those would certainly be examined and analyzed in depth by the units and formations concerned once the dust settles down. Nonetheless, the following points will seem odd even to any casual observer:

•    If indeed there was an intelligence alert, how did heavily armed terrorists sneak in through the same route of ingress as in the recent Dina Nagar attack?
•         How did they manage to sneak in, when this sector is supposed to be closely monitored, given that it is a known route of drug smugglers?
•         To what extent the politician-police-drug smuggler nexus leave this sector vulnerable to their ingress?
•        How was the SSP travelling in an expensive SUV reportedly with a jeweller, without his usual escort paraphernalia, in a remote area in the dead of night?
•        The terrorists reportedly homed on to the drain, which was a known vulnerable point, to enter the Airbase. Why was it not under greater surveillance, given that there was already an intelligence alert?   

I want to focus more upon the apparent ad-hocism in the Govt’s policy towards Pakistan and the terrorism that emanates from it. This on-now and off-now policy is quite perplexing, especially to the soldiers at the fore-front of this fight. Politicians on both sides of the political divide are squarely to blame. Their rhetoric, whether as the Ruling party or Opposition, is utterly irresponsible.

So, if Sushma Swaraj whilst in Opposition taunts that Jawans should bring 10 heads for every soldier decapitated, as the EAM she has to sing a different tune when the PM decides to launch his charm offensive.  Likewise, Sharm-el-Sheik was an inexcusable blunder by Manmohan Singh, but PM Modi’s sudden detour to Lahore and that too within just weeks of thundering that “terrorism and talks can’t go together” is supposed to be an “innovative out-of-the-box” diplomatic coup.

Politicians’ pre-election rhetoric is even more irresponsible. Whether it were the Lok Sabha polls or the recent elections in Bihar, there were outrageous statements by Netas, which were very polarizing and inflammatory and caused immense harm to our social fabric. The biggest problem with rhetoric is that while it is easy to scale up, it is very difficult to tone it down, and it invariably leaves permanent scars.

Most strategic experts and even the general populace agree that problems between India and Pakistan cannot be resolved through war and ultimately those have to be resolved through talks. It is also well appreciated that elements in Pakistan would go all out to sabotage any reconciliation, and that contingency has to be factored into the talks process. But, any astute strategist would also assert that talks should not be from a position of weakness. Furthermore, any terrorist strike should not bring the talks process back to Square One, and that there should be a Plan B. But, does the NDA Govt have a Plan B? Its track record of flip-flops and alternately blowing hot and cold does not indicate so.  

Let us Restore Civility to Our Public Discourse

Why has our Public Discourse become so intemperate, offensive, and abusive? TV debates have been reduced to slanging bouts, wherein even s0-called mature adults try to outshout others and unabashedly hurl insults at them. Shockingly, even women are no exception and many of them frequently resort to heckling to drown out opponents’ voices. Hardly anyone can endure, for instance, the daily tamasha that Arnab Goswami presides over. His verbosity, pretentious rants, and self-laudatory boasts can leave any sane person infuriated. I often wonder, what is Vineet Jain’s compulsion to retain him, despite his antics. Regrettably, even other channels are catching the same bug, and rational, level-headed discussions are becoming a rarity.

Social media interactions fare even worse. One cannot but cringe at the extent of abuse and insults hurled at each other, when people run out of logical counter-arguments. Either one must have a foolish sense of bravado or the hide of a rhino to venture into the filthy quagmire of the current public discourse. No wonder most people desist from joining any discussion, whether on social media or even in personal interactions – such is the prevailing level of intolerance.

Unarguably, politicians and their recklessly polarizing electoral politics lie at the root of this malaise. While the steady decline has been evident for several years, the 2-3 years preceding the landmark 2014 Lok Sabha poll virtually marked its nadir. The troll brigades, initially deployed by the ultra-right and later countered by other parties, vitiated the atmosphere irreparably. While their condemnation of various acts of omission and commission by UPA 2 was politically legitimate, the spate of communally-surcharged articles, posts, and commentaries were irresponsible and reprehensible.

The gullible public was sought to be enlightened about the ‘Grand Design’ of Islam to tilt the demographic balance in India and elsewhere by citing dubious, purportedly academic studies. Likewise, a plethora of posts sought to educate us about the Muslim ancestry of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty; even going to the extent of asserting that Sanjay Gandhi was not fathered by Feroze Gandhi. Not to be outdone, the rival troll brigade played up the Gujarat riots, and the consequent visa denial by USA and other western nations to embarrass the BJP’s prime-ministerial candidate, Modi.

Even some top politicians on both sides of the political divide, who should have been more circumspect and statesmen-like, set highly reproachable examples. Thus, while Sonia Gandhi was repeatedly called derogatory names such as ‘Italian waitress’, Modi was called ‘maut ka saudager’. It is unlikely that such rhetoric actually influenced people to change their voting preferences. What those deplorable statements did instead was to polarize people, and drag public discourse to the very depths of indecent, hurtful, and damaging acrimony.

Our penchant for pronouncing instant subjective judgments on any topic, without due deliberation, also inhibits sensible and balanced discussion. We tend to paint everything in either black or white, whereas in the real world there are only varying shades of grey. For instance, depending upon one’s political persuasion Modi is sought to be projected either as the long-awaited messiah, or the devil incarnate. The truth obviously lies in between. It is fashionable these days to blame Nehru for everything that afflicts India. True, he did make mistakes as regards J&K and China, but he also laid the foundation of truly democratic institutions, and a strong industrial base in sectors where private sector was unwilling or unable to invest. Several Pakistani academics and professionals have publicly lamented that Jinnah did not survive long enough and they did not have the type of leadership that Nehru provided in the early years after Independence.  

Likewise, while Indira Gandhi is rightly blameworthy for the Emergency and Op Blue Star, she did provide astute and strong leadership leading to the creation of Bangladesh. No less a person than Vajpayee paid her tributes in Parliament by likening her to Goddess Durga. So why can’t we discuss each issue objectively and dispassionately, rather than viewing them through tinted glasses and rush to judgment?

Honest and balanced debates are the very essence of a democratic polity and a truly free society. That ideal stands marred today by the prevailing shrill, acrimonious, polarizing, and abusive discourse. Most people are reluctant to voice their opinions candidly for fear of being trolled and abused on social media. We need to wrest that space back and restore its dignity.

This blog is a small step in that direction. I therefore encourage you to freely contribute to discussions on this forum, and to even initiate discussions on any topic of national, societal or military interest that you deem fit. You can rest assured that all honest opinions will be welcome and published. At the same time as the Moderator I will ensure that contributors are not exposed to offensive tirades and polemical content is filtered out.