Army officer's daughter: The soldier doesn't care about your views

After the terror attack in Uri and the Indian Army retaliating in the form of surgical strikes, there seems to be a certain kind of restlessness among the people and media. The hypocrisy about being humanitarian, and carelessly “caring about the Indian soldiers”, puts me in a fix regarding the social responsibility that each of us has.

What we hear, what we discuss, what influences people and what instigates them, are things we seem to have lost track of and this might lead to consequences.

Militants have attacked again, there has been firing in Gurdaspur, homes along the LoC have been evacuated and yet we sit and ponder over the release of Karan Johar’s next film starring a Pakistani actor! Astonishing!

I am the daughter of an Indian Army officer. As an eight-year-old, I grew up watching the movie Border and planning an attack on Pakistan while sitting in a TV room with my friends. It was a covert strategy meet.

I wrote letters to my father when he was posted in Angola during a United Nations’ tenure and the swastika made with crayons was misinterpreted by his colleagues from another country as a Nazi symbol. I gave a written test in an Army School, while a procession was being carried out for Capt Vijayant Thapar’s sacrifice in the Kargil War of 1999.

Now, I hear tales of friends who are at the defending end of these turmoils. And I, I am just one person who is part of the family of the armed forces. I am not going to rant about the fact that “I understand” what the families of these martyrs go through, but I might just have an idea. 

I would still consider myself juvenile to be able to “comment” on what is going on, let me leave that to the experts and the opinion-makers. But I would still like to present my side of the story and how irritated I get with this fake portrayal of “we care” for the Indian Armed Forces.

“The moment a soldier gets recruited, he/she is prepared to die for their country” - true. Whether anyone appreciates it or doesn’t, it won’t matter to them, because it is their job. Apart from every action having an equal and opposite reaction, there is still scope for an external stimulus that can magnify or decrease its impact.

Christine Fair in her book Fighting to the End - The Pakistan Army’s Way of War says: “Pakistan was born an insecure state in 1947, and it remains so to date.” Despite innumerable failed efforts, they have time and again through various means tried to infiltrate, attack and create unrest.

And here we are, calling their officials on live television and insulting them, challenging them and rubbing it in, to put it as bluntly, pushing them to the brink of doing something stupid - which they are capable of.

The SAARC meet was called off, US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton expressed fear over nukes falling into the wrong hands and we are telling Pakistan that: “Hey, we killed your men, aren’t you going to do anything about it?”

We don’t want a war, but we will push them to the edge of doing something, so that they can save their face in front of China and be proven wrong about being impotent.

Don’t get me wrong. Every time I have met a soldier, posted in Siachen or Kargil or Bikaner, they are not thirsty for blood and bullets, but they sure do want to kill the man who killed the guy he shared his bunker with.

My fear is that every person has put a soldier at the forefront of this fight, metaphorically and literally. The buzz about “what will India do now, or what will Pakistan do now”, could actually lead to some unnecessary action.

They need to stop digging where they are not suppose to. We have made a point, many in fact. Global pressure on Pakistan - check; portrayed them as a terrorist state - check; pushed them back - check. Now, let the forces and the government do their job. There is no need for any kind of dialogue around it.

I don’t need to state stories of valour, integrity, bravery because they are all out there. Show some respect to the families of martyrs by not inviting them on talk shows and allowing people to disrespect them. By not bringing them up in every debate, every conversation and using them as shields to justify your arguments.

How many of you have ever gone to India Gate and said a prayer in front of Amar Jawan Jyoti for those who sacrificed their lives for your today and tomorrow. It is a mere picnic spot now that signifies nationalism and patriotism but people go there to eat ice-creams and lie in open gardens. Visit the place at 2 am and it is a nightmare for any Swachh Bharat Campaign poster. 

It gets more hysterical when Bollywood steps in - the massive debate about Pakistani actors being banned from the Indian film industry. It was strange to see how certain informed youth made videos about it demeaning the whole sentiment and idea behind it.

I was surprised because I knew some of them. You can’t be selective about alienating a country! The national sentiment is instilled in all of us like a reflex. It won’t come out until it is poked. But if artists have no boundaries, why not cast a Pakistani actor in a film based on the 1971 War and ask him to portray an Indian Army officer?

A mother just lost her son, a wife her husband. They are proud he died for his country and here we are talking about “why actors should not be equated with terrorists". I am not an ardent supporter of MNS but surprisingly I saw myself agreeing with them this time.

I would suggest, you watch a Pakistani film called Khuda Ke Liye, directed by Shoiab Mansoor. It talks about the difference of opinion between Westernised, modern muslims and their counterparts who follow the religion. It has a monologue by Naseeruddin Shah on jihad and the film sheds light on how the US was suspicious of every Pakistani citizen. But we won’t be assertive.

We have become too patient, too forgiving, too adjusting with respect to everything - politics, governance, law, rules. But the forces, have reached their threshold. They will be aggressive, they will root them out, they will conquer and kill whoever challenges them.

They don’t care about your opinion or views. It isn’t their duty to die for you. It isn’t their duty to die at all. They are there to protect their nation and make sure no one gets into their household and kills their family.

Also read: How dare you question India's surgical strikes?