Thursday, December 4, 2008

Live Video Coverage: War on Terror

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War on Terror
To win a war against an efficient invisible enemy, we do not need rhetoric on television, but a balanced evaluation and response. The media also reaches the terrorist bases, we therefore, must have control to only show what we need to, and deny them information and subsequent reaction.

I am certain that their control rooms, would have been delighted to see the carnage, and fore warning of our military operations. The imbalance in reporting, can culminate into a situation of exact information, and confusion. The enemy thrives on such coverage. We should actually use it to our advantage and misinformation, to confuse the enemy.

What is being publicised is Mr Karkare's heroism! God bless his soul, but I think for a senior officer to be running around inappropriately equipped and protected may well be excessive zeal and not really supreme bravery. I sincerely hope our Government would actually equip our Police and Army better. Not a single Australian soldier/ policeman has been killed wearing Hellweg body armour. Aramid helmets replaced steel ones ten years ago. So an emerging super power, equipped worse than the worst. Mr Karkare died simply because he was not wearing an appropriate Bullet proof Vest. Very sad indeed!!

Mr Karkare went to the hospital on an impulse not knowing any thing of the threat. He did not fire a single shot & he and his colleagues were absolutely vulnerable targets for the terrorists. No doubt , a very honest & efficient officer he became an easy prey. Unfortunately his vehicle was then used by the terrorists for further mayhem. He would have been of immense value sitting in the control room and directing the operation with his wide knowledge and experience. India needed him ,and all others who died in that ordeal, to live.

We have this tendency to give such deaths a halo of Martyrdom. The same thing happened in Kabul, when our Embassy was attacked. The IFS officer & Brig Mehta got highest awards for bravery. Was it really bravery or simply , unfortunate deaths, as their car was blown up. I think it was again an intelligence failure, capitalised by the media, and awarded by our Government.

Innocent people sitting in trains also die when there is a bomb blast. Hundreds died inside the Taj and Trident Hotels. They never get gallantry awards. The Staff at the Taj and Trident-Oberoi hotels we are told did an exemplary job, protecting and guiding their guests, and many even laid down their lives. Their sagas of courage remain largely unsung.

While these officers gave the supreme sacrifice, on duty, it is not really raw gallantry, but yes, they died in harness ,and must be duly recognised, and their kith and kin looked after.

The government and especially the media, needs to draw a line some where & recognise the difference of raw courage beyond the call of duty in the face of the enemy, and death on duty.

It is on this account ,that the real valour & grit of Maj Unnikrishnan, and Hav Rajbir etc will be eclipsed. They actually gave their lives in the face of active fire and a visible enemy.

The time has come for India to awaken. Let us savour our 61 years of Independence. The time has come, to remind ourselves that we have been invaded and ruled for 800 years earlier. Is that the ugly reason why we are resilient. I think this has been misconstrued to our average reaction which is knee jerk. This does not mean that if we get a jerk we go on our knees. We are a fiercely proud nation and people. Let us all rise from our self created islands/silos of being Mumbaikars or Chennaikars or whatever. Let us be Indians.

Lets us all salute the Brave Unknown Indian, and rise, to deliver, an exemplary and befitting reply to the perpetrators and supporters of these heinous crimes against civilised society. May they never be able to attack my motherland again.
JAGO MERA INDIA ! JAI HIND.

"No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country.
He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country." - Attributed to General George Patton Jr, from "A Genius for War" by Carlo d'Este.
My random thoughts in anguish...

Major Moshe Kohli (Retd)

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