A lot of hue and cry has been made on social media over the ghastly and unfortunate terror attack on the CRPF convoy in Pulwama, on February 14, 2019. People are asking for revenge by waging a war on Pakistan. Ironically, many of these ‘bravehearts’ sitting behind their computer screens, will shudder at the thought of even stepping out in the dark. It is said that a little knowledge is a very dangerous thing, and many of these self-proclaimed ‘experts’ are not even aware of the entire issue and the stakes involved.
I am an alumnus of a Sainik school, and to some extent, I am aware of the hardships that defense personnel encounters. Having said that, I also think that the way everyone has been extending their support to the government, in times of crisis, is worthy of appreciation.
The ‘double standard’ and hypocrisy that people depict on their social media accounts frustrates me immensely. The harsh reality is that, apart from the family of those killed in the attack, ‘kisi ko ghanta pharak nahi padta (No one gives a damn)’. Garnering attention is the ultimate purpose of most of these people, who are passing their unsolicited judgment over the attack. Some of them are not even aware of the difference between CRPF and the Indian Army.
Actors are busy promoting their films, people are busy enjoying their movies and matches, journalists are busy spreading their channels’ biased propaganda, and politicians are busy ‘politicising’ the issue. The only people affected are the families of the soldiers who lost their lives in Pulwama. There is no denying the fact that if India launches an attack on Pakistan, the entire nation will be affected. However, the actual ‘sufferers’ will be the defense personnel on the battlefield, as they will be the ones dying for the country.
Amidst these baseless, loud debates, the real questions remain unanswered. Why did this attack happen? Who all were responsible for this attack, directly or indirectly? What steps need to be taken to avoid such attacks in the future? Where did the assessment of our ‘Intelligence Agencies’ go wrong? Is there a need to equip our soldiers better? Instead of holding the government accountable by putting forward the aforementioned questions, we are attacking innocent Kashmiri students, shopkeepers, and Muslims in general. Why are they always at the receiving end of our hatred in the guise of patriotism (read: jingoism)? How can we make them swear their allegiance to a nation where they are constantly under threat? We need to decide today if its ‘INDIA vs PAKISTAN’ or ‘INDIA vs INDIA’.
We keep valorizing our soldiers and have conditioned ourselves into thinking that they are meant to die for our sake. Has it ever occurred to us that maybe the reason that some join the army is that they have no other option? Even if thousands of these soldiers die on the battlefield, there will always be someone ready to take up the job to provide better living conditions to their families.
The least we can do is refrain from inciting hatred on social media. I would like to appeal to the journalists to please uphold the ethics and integrity of your profession because a lot of people in India are uneducated and they rely solely on television for information. Now is not the time to spread propaganda to enhance your TRP. Please show some respect to the ‘departed’.
Featured Image Source: ANI Twitter
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