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5 loony consequences of Indian Army's surgical strikes

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Vrinda Gopinath
Vrinda GopinathOct 14, 2016 | 13:22

5 loony consequences of Indian Army's surgical strikes

1. Hindutva Samrat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has finally brushed off any doubts about him being a Hindu or a Hindutvadi. For on Dusshera day, at the Ramlila grounds in Aishbagh, Lucknow, Modi began and ended his speech with the Hindutva roar of "Jai Shri Ram", at last avowing his commitment to a Hindutva homeland.

It was a kooky attempt, so typical of Hindutva leaders and rabble-rousers, to roll several symbols and imagery, from Ram and Sita, girl child to terrorism, into one of tradition and Hindu religion, but Modi tripped in his eulogy of the girl child and denouncement of female foeticide.

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As Modi urged people to fight against female foeticide saying, "If for bringing dishonour to one Sita, Ravana can be burnt for ages, why not fight against killing girls in wombs," it was sacrilegious that Modi used the masculine, macho, Hindutva chant of "Jai Shri Ram", stamping out the traditional, centuries-old greeting of the Hindi heartland: "Jai Siya Ram".

For the beauty of this mantra lays in the fact that Sita's name always precedes Ram's, just as in Hindu names like Sitaram, Siyaram and such like. Classical Hinduism also acknowledges fuzzy genderising, from Srilaxmi to Sridevi.

Instead, Modi was blissfully ignorant of the refined Ganga-Jamuni culture of the greeting "Jai Siya Ram", even as he droned on about the girl child. It's time to teach the basic credo of Hinduism to Hindutvasis.

2. Wimp blip

In a bizarre twist of fate, PM Modi, who has marketed himself as the action hero, the antipode of the Manmohan-Singh-the-Wimp brand of leadership, of "passivism and meekness", has been forced to retreat and quell any fanatical and exuberant nationalist cheers and jeers, so beloved of him and his flock, post-surgical strikes.

Though, there was none of the earlier #56InchRocks or #ManipurRevengeStrike tweets by his ministers, after the surgical strikes in Myanmar, Modi was forced to intervene when the Opposition cried foul play over timely political publicity.

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PM Narendra Modi at Dussehra function in Lucknow. (Photo credit: Reuters) 

So, even as triumphant hashtags like #ModiPunishesPak and #IndiaStrikesBack began trending all day, and his defence minister Manohar Parrikar compared an in-denial Pakistan to an "anesthetised patient" after a surgery, still to realise what happened to it, and likened Indian Army soldiers to Hanuman, a force that has suddenly realised its powers, a jittery Modi let it be known there will be no more "chest thumping" and that only authorised leaders can make public statements.

But it has not stopped Modi and his ministers from heralding the PM for his "muscularity, bravery and purpose".

While Modi put on his victorious Ramayana battle gear with bows and arrows, sudarshan chakra and gada hathiyar at Lucknow, in politically crucial Uttar Pradesh, an unstoppable Parrikar said there was never a surgical strike by armed forces undertaken before, and that the major credit should go to Modi! However, the forced restrain and caution is giving BJP leaders untold misery and pain, and the latter are rearing to lunge and crow at any opportunity.

3. Anxious nationalism

On the other hand, the Congress party, which swears by Gandhian principles and non-violence is falling all over to let the country know about the "even greater" surgical strikes carried out by their government under the leadership of Manmohan Singh.

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Breathless and gory reports of beheadings of Pakistani soldiers, their trophy heads carried back by victorious Indian soldiers, bombs and mines left to booby trap Pak soldiers, each detail put out in all its savagery and blood.

Now, anywhere else in the world, such candid confessions would invite the war crimes tribunal, for violating international laws and convention in military disputes, but the media, political parties and Indian Army are merrily playing who is more bloodthirsty in the patriot games.

4. Media's hypocrisy

Enough has been said about news television's prime time anchors who have decided that questioning Modi, his government and the Indian armed forces, amounts to treason, sedition and anti-nationalism, but it's hysterical to watch them rave and applaud Pakistani journalist Cyril Almeida, for taking on the Pakistani government and the Pakistani army!

Did irony just die here or are they aware that they have smeared and castigated everyone, from defence analysts to peaceniks, who may have given an alternative view?

Are the television anchors so intoxicated by their own sense of self-importance and pomposity, that they've become deaf and blind? To boost their schizoid worldview, some media persons are even gloating, pointing to the press freedom enjoyed in India, as compared to Pakistani journalists, like Almeida, who has a travel ban issued against him by the Nawaz Sharif government.

Of course, there's no mention of the Kashmiri publications banned in the Valley, or the refusal of travel papers to activist Priya Pillai, on her way to Britain, to highlight human rights violations in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh.

5. Star wars

It's bad enough to have apoplectic retired starred Army generals hollering and snorting on prime time television every evening, throwing the last bit of professionalism to the winds as they flagrantly take political sides. Now, even Bollywood stars are all jumping onto the gravy train to shout their allegiance for or against the government.

Ajay Devgn's illiterate reaction would have been laughable if it were not for the terrible truths that oppose his utterances, however, Bollywood masala news is full of the impending clash in release of Devgn's film, Shivaay, with Karan Johar's Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.

Johar, it has been said has been forced to take a pro-Pakistani artist stand because Pakistani star Fawad Khan, has a lead role in the film, and already several political parties have called for a ban of his film.

Is Devgn ensuring top box office sales what with Johar heading for blockbuster blackout?

Last updated: October 14, 2016 | 13:22
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