Most of us do not write for a
living. Some who do, work with the words so long that words become their tool,
their device for deception. They lose affection for words, the respect for words; for them words are weapon to control and rule over the world. They use them to manipulate the truth. But then, words are like guns. Guns don’t kill,
people do. Words don’t deceive, people behind the pen do. Hyperbole is one such
literary device which shoots in both the direction. War, or conflict, as they
say, brings out the best and worst of us. It is true about our media as well.
Yesterday, there was a terror
attack on a Military camp in Uri, Kashmir. As is the case with any conflict, it
brought out the best and worst of us. Amid the din, with a numbing thought of
eighteen caskets, wrapped in Tricolor, haunted most citizens. The government
sat silent, except for perfunctory condemnation and assurance of definitive
action. That was day one. People were too angry, too annoyed at the prolonged
dithering on international policy especially with reference to a terror state
right on our next door, a bankrupt nation, one-fifth the size of India, still
propped up by the west as self-proclaimed guardian of Muslims across of world,
irrespective of their nationality.
Writing anything against the
public sentiment, overwhelmingly sad, furious and at the same time, frustrated
was troublesome. That was day one. Day two, and the perverse play of politics
came into play. Journalists began offering their advices ridiculing the
possibility of military action. They weren’t worried much that most common
citizens proposed non-military options. One Morning newspaper opened with the
options to deal with terror coming from Pakistan. Hindustan Times proposed
options available for India in the wake of this attack as below- (What Next? Read the HT Article )
Surgical Strike- Covert attack
on Terrorist camps in Pak Occupied Kashmir. From readiness, from moral
one-upmanship perspective, and to an extent, from technical feasibility
perspective- this is a jingoist, but very difficult option. Further, in a country, where internal strife is causing so many death, and where US drones keep attacking with impunity, I don't think it will serve much purpose.
Hot Pursuit- Indian Forces
going into Pakistan as retaliatory step. This was same as earlier one, only
overt. The daily however, trashed its own proposition since unlike Myanmar
opposing terror publicly, Pakistan has terror as official wing for aggressive
diplomacy.
Diplomacy (Global)- Isolate
Pakistan- HT clearly mentions this as attempt to isolate Pak globally by
getting it declared as a terrorist nation. The option ignored our own role in
this sanctions we propose others to impose on Pakistan. As we see, and have
seen, Global powers are driven not by morality, rather by their own interests.
It is hardly likely for them to their obedient stooge which allows them to
trample on Pakistani sovereignty to pursue their design, whether it is about
drone attacks or killing OBL. They are also going to see that the Pakistan
envoy continues to enjoy hospitality and trade continues to flow through unilateral
MFN between India and Pakistan. No one
can support you in your fight which you yourself are unwilling to fight your own fight.
Bilateral talks- Engage
Civilian leadership of Pakistan. However, the article junks this idea, which
surely is outlandish, but, and read carefully, it places the onus of
impossibility of this impossible idea on Indian Government. It says this goes
against New Delhi’s stated line. Thus implying that had India government not
tied itself in knots, by its own public posturing this would have been a
plausible option. This has been stemming out of a naïve Hindu hope of some
goodness in all evil. It is foolish to treat Pakistan’s civilian leadership as
separate from Army establishment of Pakistan. This Good cop- Bad cop act is
just the face and we see even Pakistan is not much keen on continuing with the façade.
So, an AK-47 carrying terrorist, becomes a hero for Nawaz Sharif and he calls
the person out to destroy India a hero and calls for black day on his killing.
It is absurd to continue treating civilian leader as last hope for humanity.
Democracy in Pakistan is a sham; it is feudal and as blood thirsty as the
military. Their job is to maintain goodwill and get alms for the military.
Other options they propose is
back channel with Pakistani army, which is trying to make friends with your
potential murderer, and aggressive posturing- Army mobilization like Operation
Parakram, which is as absurd as it sounds, and which constitutes nothing but posing as a peacock until you get tired of it.
Now, we have seen the options
listed out here as only options available with Indian establishment against an
enemy nation by a reputed daily. Barkha Dutt has almost gone on the lines of
Digvijay Singh after 26/11. Malini Parthsarthy, another senior journalist is
amused with the hullaballoo over 17 martyrs, since as per her, they join the army to die. Well, talking
about what drives one’s career choices, one only wonders what drove these
journalists to become journalists. Striving for truth or peddling the lies-
they need to introspect. Slowly the machinery comes to action, a party releases
statement linking attack with Kashmir, suggesting, India should begin talks
with all stakeholders (which would of course, include those who felled these
soldiers) on Kashmir. They are not wrong. The intent of terrorists is to get India
talk of Kashmir and eventually leave it for them. Barkha had earlier written an article on
Government’s effort to talk to terrorists within constitution, provocatively
asking- If not for greater autonomy, then
what is the talk for? She should know, talk is about negotiation, and it
need not go necessarily in one direction. My answer to her would be- talks
could also be for lesser autonomy. The autonomy to the degree currently given
has yielded no result. So obviously, case is pretty strong to have a negotiation
around reduction of autonomy. Vajpayee doctrine has failed, there is no point
in keeping revisiting it merely because it had better sounding slogans. As time
passes, the failures of past begin to appear less pathetic, that is the case of
Vajpayee doctrine. If yesterday were so perfect, today won’t be in such a mess.
So please stop pleading for good old days, since they seem good only because they
are not there.
There is sinister game of
manufacturing the narrative happens. This has happened every time an attack
happens from Pakistan. Debates will happen largely aimed at proving A) any one
demanding visible action is a war-monger B) as a corollary to it, reject his or
her plea for visible action, calling it war-mongering, and push for talks, more
talks, people to people contact, exchange of art and culture. Essentially it is
all a build up to prove everything a nonsensical demand of middle class, the
non-public school citizens, and ensuring business as usual. The Industry
flourish that way, interlocutors are appointed, money flows, until another
attack. Hyperbole are used here. Hyperbole refers to the use of exaggeration as
a rhetorical devise. However, it is not always used to build an argument.
Sometimes it can be used to kill and demolish an argument. So the general
demand of action on cowardly act of killing our citizen is converted into a
hyperbole. It is pumped and pumped till it starts looking ridiculous, worthy of
being dumped immediately. In a very interesting note by Christopher D. Johnson, he writes- “By pushing language beyond its ordinary limits, hyperbole devalues it,
reducing speech to a shockheaded, arm-waving extremity from which no true, let
alone clear, idea emerges.”
The clarity of thoughts of
most normal citizens on Twitter is amazing. The asks were easily doable and
will be extremely, demonstratively and definitively scathing for Pakistan as a
retort. Here is what common people sought on Twitter from Government as visible
action-
1.
Declare Pakistan a
rogue state. – Done. After frustratingly poetic condemning of Pakistan for
terror acts, “Without naming it”, finally it has been done- Named and shamed.
2.
Send Pak Envoy back,
recall Indian Envoy- Why have diplomatic relations with Pakistan. It is an
enemy nation, irrespective and not because of Uri Attack. Burhan Wani was sworn
enemy of India state, wanted so break Kashmir, which we say is integral part of
India, away from India, and make it a part of theocratic state. Pakistan
blatantly and brazenly supported him and his kind.
3.
Scrap Most Favored
nation and End trade ties- We export around 3 Bn USD to Pak and import 0.6 Bn
from Pakistan. Given the size of Indian economy, it hardly would matter, but
coupled with two aforementioned points, will make the isolation complete. Post
that when you go around the world, asking Us or Them, your words will make more
sense. Close Wagah and Aman Setu. Maybe some Kashmiri apples will not reach
Pakistani market, but let some apples rot to isolate our rotten apples. Then we
can tell SAARC and other platforms we share, we will attend only if events are
not in Pakistan soil. Make it a pariah for us. If we really consider soldiers
as our brothers, how can we keep being civil to those who are not only killing
our brothers, rather are quite proud and boisterous about it.
4.
Clean internal
conflict zones like JNU. Why not
commemorating the martyrs by Government of India inside JNU, Jadavpur
University and such places? Why not a parade commemorating the sacrifice of Uri at Lal
Chowk? If we cannot manage that in our own territory, forget surgical strikes.
If we are able to do this, we don’t need surgical strike.
The game of Journalistic
industry is to keep it simmering. Ignore all these options, extend them to a
hyperbole. Once it stops making sense owing to extreme interpretations, dump
it; and present absurd options, which are impractical and eventually push the
government into rejecting all of them. And thus, let the fun of track two
diplomacy, and their own position of unchallenged thought-supremacy, continue.
Using hyperbole, extremely practical suggestions are junked. I am an ordinary
citizens- A small-time writer, the high priests of journalisms would say dismissively.
But I observe, and I share it so the game is exposed, if not to all, to those
who can take time to see the truth for themselves. It is high time someone did
this, in however small way as possible. I can’t fight on border, I can’t
possibly fight an election. But I can see, analytically and write. That I will.
We need to be on our guards when we open the newspaper tomorrow. As George
Orwell wrote- “But if thoughts corrupt language,
language can also corrupt thoughts.” The cracks in the cabal is showing,
but the cabal is still there. It controls the truth and I quote Orwell again- ,
“And if all others accepted the lie which
the Party imposed- if all records told the same tale-then the lie is passed
into history and becomes truth.”
Unfortunately in case of India, Party is the ecosystem of unhappy and scheming
people whose established way of living as unchallenged, unquestioned feudal
lords of public morality and public thoughts, who want to change the current government,
whatever be the cost. Beware of their lies, lest it might become truth.
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