A little sensitivity for the grieving families of our brave hearts?!

As & when time permits I follow the news. However yesterday was different, I was really upset after hearing about the massacre of our CRPF Jawans so was keen to get an update on it.

I usually follow NDTV (have been a big fan of Prannoy Roy since the days of 'The World this Week') and also Ms. Barkha for a long time.

As they progressed into the discussion I was shocked by the total insensitivity being displayed by the TV channel and the direction the discussion was taking.

The whole discussion seemed to revolve around the operation being 'messed up'. So why this reaction from me... doesn't the public need to know the facts . ?

Bear with me for a while & imagine yourself sitting with the families who are grieving the loss of their father/son/brother and are watching this channel. For them an ultimate sacrifice has been made by a family member for our country. So lets see how this channel covers this supreme sacrifice...

As the discussion begins headlines are blasted indicating how the Army claims they never trained this battalion ... At least I felt it was a blame game being played out on National TV as well as an acceptance that these brave lads were not trained!.

Once again I imagined myself sitting with the families who are grieving the loss of their father/son/brother watching this channel. For them an ultimate sacrifice has been made by a family member for our country & the TV Channel is trying to tell us via National TV "Yes , we are real sorry but you know he was not well trained so this happened ..!!!"

Could you not have just indicated that these young brave hearts fought hard & died valiantly for this country and efforts were on to ensure their sacrifice was not in vain. ?

NEXT a prolonged discussion follows as to how this was perhaps a messed/flawed operation. Discussion how mistakes might have been made & it goes on & on & on ...

Once again I imagined myself sitting with the families who are grieving the loss of their father/son/brother watching this channel and all that the channel wants to discuss on National TV that their deaths were because of mistakes & flaws!

Could you not have just indicated that these young brave hearts fought hard & died valiantly for this country and efforts were on to ensure their sacrifice was not in vain. ?


We live a life of security because of our Jawans. We can sit & tweet away in the comfort of our homes & offices because our Jawans. Our children & our parents can move around freely because of our Jawans so is it too much to expect sensitivity towards the grieving families of our brave hearts.

If there were mistakes , let the probe take care of it. If they were not trained, let the probe take care of it. This is not your business!

If you really want to discuss it... quiz the politicians more, quiz the top brass more, reassure the nation that the media will not let these sacrifices go in vain!

DONT GO WASHING DIRTY LINEN IN PUBLIC & TRY TO GET THE UGLY OUT for RATINGS!!!

Media !! This is the JAWAN you are talking about and not some celebrity actor, artist,sportman or cricketer .......

WAKE UP & KNOW THE DIFFERENCE !!!

What if the 'Mahatma' were alive ? Would he be effective ?

What if the 'Mahatma' were alive today ? Would he be effective ? are questions, I have asked myself several times when I see my great country India in such a big mess. Would he have been able to single handedly counter the scourge of Terrorism & Corruption that is eating the life out of our country today?

I had the privilege of asking the same questions to his great grand son "Tushar Gandhi", to which his reply was "He definitely would not have been sitting around doing nothing & whatever he chose to do, he would have persevered irrespective of the opposition"

When I compare the situations when Mahatma Gandhi was alive and today, it looks like some circumstances have not changed much... perhaps just the players.

1) Pre Independence days innocent Indians were getting killed by the British, today they are getting killed by terrorists & Naxals.

2) Earlier our national wealth was being sucked by the British now its the Indian Politician.

3) Earlier loyalty of certain selfish Indian citizens/rajas/princes could be bought by money given by the British to do deeds against the common citizen & the laws could be bent, today the same happens, individuals are ready to be corrupted with the lure of money given by us & the so called elected representatives of the Republic of India.

So has much changed at least in this context ? No not really .. we are surrounded by similar circumstances as those before 1948. Certainly a man like the Mahatma would not change (perhaps his wisdom would have increased over the years).

So if the man has not changed and the circumstance have not changed, it would be real safe to say 'Mahatma Gandhi' would still be VERY 'effective' even in today's circumstances.

1) There would be people wanting to kill him (Before it was the British today it would be the terrorists/naxals/corrupt politicians...)

2) There were people wanting to buy him & hence stop him (Before it was the British, today it would be our corrupt politicians)

BUT we must ALSO not forget there would be LAKHS who would follow him & protect him with their lives too... & he would STILL have been able to create a mass movement against the mess in our country & forced a change that we so desperately need.

His detractors might still label him as the person behind partition but that is a matter of perception, circumstance & subjectivity but can anyone today give me the name of a single Leader who would have as much as mass appeal as Mahatma Gandhi ?

Can anyone deny the fact that he was capable of moving our nation single handedly in a direction that no one even now can even dream of.? Today even our top leaders have to pay people to attend their meetings so that it looks like a mammoth rally. ...

So YES!!!, a person like Mahatma Gandhi would be relevant even in this day & age. His methods effective and he would move the masses and force the change we so desperately need..

Jai Hind !