Forces on the border

Came across two disturbing news today. In continuous firing by Pakistani troops on Indian positions, we lost a JCO yesterday. It was also mentioned in the news item that this was 7th case of an Indian personnel dying in these border skirmishes with Pakistan. It doesn’t imply that we are taking it lying down; our response is very fierce causing extensive damage and casualties on the other side.

Second news is another showdown at Indo China border. One version is that China was once again moving its troops to front position to resume construction work, Indian forces foiled the attempt. Chinese version is that India has been asked to move back its troops to de escalate tension. In either scenario, it indicates renewed tension at Sino Indian border.

The above news items have mentally disturbed me more strongly in view of my day old fresh experience of having watched world war 2 drama Saving Private Ryan. The film directed by celebrated Hollywood director Steven Spielberg is a very brutal and raw depiction of war action. The story relates to martyrdom of three brothers in action, the high point being that even 4th brother is also in action fighting German troops. Chief of staff General Marshall sends a crack team to the field of action to bring back home the 4th brother so that the entire family is not wiped out. Private Ryan comes back home safely, but not before six out of eight members of the crack team are martyred. Also, the scenes of war and suffering are agonising and heart wrenching. And don’t we come across such incidents in our own context where we see multiple martyrdoms from the same family – father first then son or two sons, in another case a wife joining army as replacement for her martyred husband.

When will the good sense prevail in humans that negotiated settlement is the only civilised way of resolving issues. War is destructive. And this I am talking of 40s when the weapons were still not as lethal or destructive as they are now!

Let’s pray for peace, safety of our troops and prevalence of judiciousness and prudence in the minds of governments. Isn’t Corona pandemic causing enough suffering that nations like Pakistan and China are finding it difficult to just hold on to agreed positions of LOC and LAC respectively and fight pandemic instead? Praying for and preaching peace are not necessarily cowardliness! Our forces need not necessarily have to make more sacrifices to prove their valour.

God bless our country and our forces.