Dear Ms. Roy,
Good afternoon!
Today, after a long time, I chanced upon reading Huffington
post and Voila, what do I find? An article written by you, showcasing your well
known views on Kashmir.
Though I pride myself upon being a decently well read person, at the outset let me candidly admit that when I bought your acclaimed book “God of Small Things” with much glee and hope, I had thought I shall cherish reading the book. But agony greeted me instead!
However, I admit in
my entire existence of over 4 decades on this earth, that is the only book which I had to leave
unfinished rather drop after the first chapter.
But, I still hold myself in awe today for having gathered my
wits around and deciding to read your article published on Huff Post today and
like always, it was a disappointing saga of austere mediocrity based on pile of
lies and self-effacing prophecies.
But yes, before I do so, let me recount my opinion of your
intellectual prowess.
Mark Twain said to the effect, “Get your facts first before you
distort them” but in your case, I can safely gauge that you get into
distortion without even getting your facts, leave alone half baking them.
So, let’s come to point, shall we?
With his reckless “pre-emptive” airstrike on Balakot in Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inadvertently undone
what previous Indian governments almost miraculously, succeeded in doing for
decades.
Well firstly, there was nothing “reckless” about the air strike. It was a brave move, which you will cite as innuendo,
after due deliberation and consideration of our conditions. Besides, the move
was proposed by our armed forces and NSA and our PM approved it with his
complete support. I am not sure if yu are calling our forces reckless.
But I agree with you. This man indeed has undone what previous Indian governments
almost miraculously, succeeded in doing for decades. For decades,
our previous governments did nothing in terms of a qualifiable reply to our
belligerent neighbour. It extended olive branch every time and our neighbours
returned the favour by upping the ante on terror attacks. Definitely Mr. Modi
stopped this diabolically suicidal approach.
Have you heard of “Wrath of God” by Mossad or again Israel
conducting theirrescue operation in Antebbe in Uganada or as a better and more
contemporary analogy, US entering Abottabad and killing Osama. That too when
Pakistan has been their ally.
Modi has internationalised the Kashmir dispute.
Do you know what is the meaning of “internationalising a
dispute”? officially, any dispute is ‘internationalised’ when it is brought up
either in UN, or in ICJ or getting offers of third party mediation.
Maybe you do not know that Kashmir was internationalised ,
in the imagination of the whole world, when it was attacked in 1948 by
Pakistan. And, before thatUN Resolution 47 was passed in UN , upon the
insistence of Indian Govt, in 1947.
So my educated lady,
do not say Modi internationalised Kashir. It was always in the radar of global
community. In fact to the extent of US, China, and if ai am not wrong, even
Norway offering mediation. Why should they, if it was not an international
issue?
He has demonstrated to the world that Kashmir
is potentially the most dangerous place on earth, the flash-point for nuclear
war.
Well seriously! I do
not understand your logic of equating a strike in the interiors of Pakistan
with our own state and region called Kashmir. He has demonstrated to the world
that Pakistan is potentially the most dangerous place in Earth, not Kashmir.
Well, have you heard of N. Korea, Syria, Yemen. Go and see
them before bestowing this certificate on Kashmir. Unlike these areas, here the
“youth” and ol or women and children alike feel free to hit our soldiers, often
causing lifetime injury or in worse cases, their death.
Yes Kashmir is indeed dangerous for not for the Kashmiri people
but for our soldiers. Seldom goes a day when they are no attacked by the
kashmiris. Lets not get into data for this.
Since 1990, more than seventy thousand people
have been killed in the conflict, thousands have “disappeared”, tens of
thousands have been tortured and hundreds of young people maimed and blinded by
pellet guns.
Well quantifying death is a not such a nice thing but even
worse is to inflate the numbers. Just so you know, since 1990, Forty One thousand
people have died and NOT Seventy thousand unless for you, death of twenty nine thousand is just a number, so as to use it so
charitably. Besides, you are writing an article for media, you should do your
homework.
Of this forty one thousand, the largest number is that of
terrorists. Civilians came next who were killed largely by the terrorists
themselves.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of young
men in the Kashmir Valley like Adil Ahmed Dar who have been born into war
Aah the most expected one and here it is that Ms. Arundhato
Roy the “columnist” turns into the acclaimed writer weaving her rich panorama of
well chosen words . or is it?
Born into war? Do you have any idea what it means? A war
does not allow schools, colleges to remain open. A war does not enable health
care. A war does not let children work on their multi talent faculties. A war
does not encourage the citizens to enlist in the same army wich is leading the “war”.
How many of these aspects are missing in Kashmir, unless the teachers there or
parents there teach young kids to take up guns and if not possible, ‘at least
pelt stones’. I feel your friend Yasin
Malik, Mirwaiz Umar Farukh usher these youth
and thus they are reborn in war that never existed. Of course you do
your bit too. India on its part has encouraged Kashmiri youth to join police,
army, get educated, do well in sports. They stoned our soldiers who during the
floods, went against all odds to save lives of Kashmiris. Alas, some people
chose to forget this so easily.
Do you remember young Qamran Iqbal who made it to National
Under-19 cricket squad. He too is from Kashmir, so why is he doing so well in
his life. Leave alon student securing good marks and aiming at a better life. Because
they have faith and belief in India.
The armed struggle in Kashmir against what
people think of as “Indian Rule” is almost thirty years old.
So? Just because some people take up guns for non-existential
issues, a country should give in? By that measure, Britain should have given up
Ireland and Scotland decades ago. Ditto for Iraq or now Yemen or China should
give up on Tibet or Uighur province?
A nation is born out of several centuries of evolution, of
struggle and just because some misguided people believe otherwise, a nation can
not give up its sovereignty. For you, Kashmir was, is and will always remain an
integral part of our country, its glowing crown. So relax.
Who in their right mind could imagine that this
hellishly complicated, hellishly cruel war would be solved or even mitigated in
any way by a one-off, hastily executed, theatrical “surgical-strike,” which
turns out to have been not-so-surgical after all?
Well my apologies, for I did not know that apart from a
writer, a columnist, ‘human rights champion’, you also excel at Military and
strategic affairs. For how else, would you know that it was a hastily executed and theatrical strike.
I wonder if Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa would agree with you!
Would you like to have a debate with him where you could perhaps explain how it
“should have been executed”.
And what an irony it is, that while this
irresponsible nuclear brinkmanship is being played out in our subcontinent, the
mighty United States of America is in talks with the Taliban forces
Well! Mighty Americans is it? Wow. But wasn’t it the same
Americans who attacked Vietnam, Iraq and
mucgh before that dropped Atom Bombs. Not that I have anything against America (I
respect and love their notion of national pride) but I am wondering how come
you are patronising a nation which chose to quell human rights and freedom in
nations that were geographically separated by thousands of miles apart from
culture,language and other traits.
By the way, the same Mighty American president had not
objected after what you called the hastily conducted surgical strike. France,
Israel all supported India and its current Prim Minister. But of course, they
know less than you.
As one pithy Twitter commentator
put it, (she was referring to the increasingly popular Hindu vigilante practice
in North India, of tracking down and lynching Muslims
accused of killing cows), how is it that the BJP “can trace 3 kg of beef but
cannot trace 350 kg of RDX”?
Remember the Mark Twain remark above? You again blunder. It was
not a “she” but rather a “HE” and that HE has a name – Congress Leader Harooon
Yusuf from Delhi. Yes same Haroon Yusuf who was caught eating while he was
apparently ona day long fast. Some integrity indeed and no wonder you choose to quote him, though
changing his gender. I wonder how he would take it.
But after the air strikes he was quick to
appear on TV to take credit, sounding for all the world as though he had
personally flown the planes and dropped the bombs.
Is it? To the best of my memory, it was Mr. Vijay Gohale our
Foreign Secretary and later three joint chief of staff who appeared on TV and
confirmed the attack. Seems you are not a fan of Mark Twain at all.
And since you love Mighty Americans, just let me know if
Barack Obama personally joined the SEALs when they went to Abottabad. I am
asking since you are lamenting that our PM did not personally drop the bombs.
Newspapers followed suit with ridiculous,
embarrassing headlines. The Indian Express said: ‘India Strikes Terror, Deep in Pakistan’
Embarassing! Ridculous! Really? So Pakistan were not
terrified at all, so much so that they blanketed the air space for hours. The
marketsin Karachi sensex crashed down and as reported in news, many elites of
Pakistan left the country in a hurry. Pakistan turned off its ligts, pulling
the cpuntryinto darkness. I am sure they enjoyed it and these were not out of
fear.
Meanwhile he and his men were out
electioneering. Doubters and dissenters were terrorized by Hindutva trolls,
charged with being anti-national, or just debilitated by the fear of the
on-call lynch mob that seems to lurk at every street corner in North India.
The champion of breaking India, so much so that you single
out North India. People reported elements who insulted the nation and its
forces, to law officers and it happened Pan India. Whole nation got united and
it happened in “south India “ too as well as “East India”.
The sheen of false victory faded quickly after
Pakistan struck back,
shot down a fighter plane and captured a pilot of
the Indian Air Force—Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman.
Struck back? Care to explain? Did we attack Pakistan to
provoke them for this “struck back”. Seems you must have danced in gay abandon
when Pakistan ‘struck back’. Would you
mind a lot if I call your behaviour and mindset deplorably fractured.
The madness on television, fed to people like
an IV drip morning, noon and night, asks people to lay aside their woes, their
joblessness, their hunger, the closing down of their small businesses, the
looming threat of eviction from their homes, their demands that there be an
enquiry into the mysterious deaths of judges, as well as into what looks like
the biggest, most corrupt Defense deal in the history of India, their worries
that if they are Muslim, Dalit or Christian they could be attacked or
killed—and instead vote, in the name of national pride, for the very people that
have brought about this devastation.
Aah here you go again doing what you do best! Creating smoke
without fire. Creating issues where there are none. Small business closing
down? Where. Haven’t you known that the number of start ups in India inlast 2-3
years has been a case study over the world? And,since when did death by heart
attack be known as Mysterious death. Regarding corrupt defense deal, yes you
are right. I grant that! National
agencies are looking at Augusta wasteland deal. But like Bofors, we will not
leave the culprits. Keep your fiath in the PM. Yeh khata bhi nahi hai, khane deta bhi nahi hai.
Whatever anybody’s opinion of him, and whatever
Pakistan’s role has been in the Kashmir conflict, Imran Khan, the Prime
Minister of Pakistan has acted with dignity and rectitude throughout
this crisis.
Dignity? Where was this dignity when Maj. Vikram Batra was
captured? Imran Khan has acted as a very good PR man. I give that. But isn’t it
little strange that he chose to become dignified within minutes of announcement
of joint brief by chief of services.
Regarding “whatever Pakistan’s role in Kashmir conflict”, it
is so naïve of you to even have mentioned this. Have you heard of ISI?they have
bled OUR beautiful Kashmir for years. Does the name Hamid Gul ring a bell?
Does the name Md. Salauddin ring a bell. He lives in Pakistan now.
Do you remember
a name called Zia Ul Haq who said that we will bleed India with thousand cuts.
And, care to explain why the dignified Imran Khan did not
attend OIC just because Ms. Sushma Swaraj was invited? Any idea? Dignified!
Ms. Roy, grow up!
This government has wounded India’s soul so
very deeply. It will take years for us to heal.
Modi has to go. The quarrelsome, divided, unstable
Coalition government that might come in his place is not a problem.
Our soul doesn’t wound so easily. We have had attacks
imposed on us in the past and perhaps in future too but the notion of a nation
and its soul is cast in trimmings of gold so as not to get hurt so easily. What
will take years to heal though is the unrelenting, consistent and sustained attack on
our nation by our own people many of so called Intelligentsia, who have got all the benefits, who have been loved,
accorded social position, who over their champagne in elegant dress in evenings
of discussion in their mushy drawing room left no stone unturned in breaking
this nation. It has hurt us but not broken us. It can’t and it won’t ever.
Yes,Modi has to go! From 2014-2019 to another term starting from
Mid 2019. While you defined the opposition parties most aptly, they do not have
the moral quaifications to lead this nation. A new era has been heralded in
2014 when the country got a man who meant business. Business of leading India
to wards development, towards a feeling of ‘WE’ from ‘I’…a sense of pride.
A time shall come when millions of Indians would proudly say- We lived in the times of Modi. This writer will be one of them.
A time shall come when millions of Indians would proudly say- We lived in the times of Modi. This writer will be one of them.
Cheers, take care.
A common Indian!
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