Uri

20 soldiers have died in Uri, most of them unarmed and sleeping in their barracks or tents, in a crafty attack by alleged JeM terrorists from Pakistan, who sneaked in from other side of the border. Are our borders so vulnerable?

This not the first of such attacks, as the brazen attack on Pathankot is vivid in our minds, and so are the nearly three-dozen intrusions and attacks in the last two years alone. Being a country with limitless tolerance and good neighbourly feelings, we defend as usual.

“Their martyrdom will not go waste,’ rants the ministers; ‘Pakistan should be isolated,’ screams breaking news from the TV channels; retired generals wipe their tears lamenting on the losses of lives and on the treacherous neighbour; coffins wrapped in tricolours make a sad but repetitive story; bugles sound and guns salute in reverence as the dead are paid their last respects by whoever matters; the last rites take place under the glare of publicity until the fires are lit, or the bodies buried as the nation turns back to yet again forget forever the episode. No, they will be remembered again when awards would be distributed to the numbed widows, the cries ‘Vande Mataram,’ splitting the skies, for more reasons than one!

‘Pakistan exposed, Nawaz cornered,’ will not earn brownie points for India. One must see the repetitive attacks from the eyes of Pakistani terrorist leaders who survive on the promises of annihilation of ‘Hindustan.’ They get donations of millions of dollars from a few Arab countries, which secretly wish a hegemonized Islamic world. For the Pakistanis suffering from seven decades humiliation of comparative Indian overall growth, an attack is a sign of valor and misplaced chivalry.

One thing could be certain. Pakistan cannot be ignorant of the consequences of a war with India. Both countries with nukes to the teeth would want a short and decisive war, unlike any fought before. It may not be strange in a country that has witnessed a parallel power vested with the army, and an army, which has usurped the power from the elected government that army backed terrorists keep disturbing India, to retain their importance with the civil government.

Is our long and lethargic process of ‘isolating’ Pakistan faulty? Is India’s soft approach being taken as a sign of weakness? How are we going to secure our borders? A few impatient Indians suggest to nuke Pakistan, which too is a misplaced solution as the economic successes we have just started to taste will all crumble to dust with the death of a few million citizens and the expensive after-war-costs.

Do we approach the UN? My feeling is the world body has long lost its relevance, fettered by a few privileged nations at cross roads, and with veto power. The lives of hundreds of thousands in Syria, Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan and many African countries could have been saved by timely intervention of the UN. They had failed miserably and will continue to do so. We need to take lessons from Israel, when it comes to defending its territory. We must come with decisive and surgical strikes to end the malady of infiltration forever.

Each one soldier’s life is worth your own Mr. Parikkar! You and your party would have tore your veils of compassion if a few parliamentarians or party men were killed in an attack. The defence minister should concentrate on matters of defence than comment on the cause of long-tongue-problems of his political opponents.

Look at the plight of the young widows, their dreams, their children and their future. As a country we owe them an explanation. A soldier may not be afraid of death, but to die while fighting and defending his country, not charred to death while sleeping peacefully.

Enough talked, now could there be the time for some ‘Ache din’ action?

Sampath Kumar
Intrépide voix

• Uri