By: Neha Mustafi
With elections just around the corner and the political tension in the country becoming palpable with every passing day, an incident such that of the Pulwama attacks forces the citizens to introspect and analyze the role of the government.
In not only the economic and political development of the country but also in maintaining the integrity and sovereignty of the nation.
The Pulwama attacks pushed the Aam Aadmi to question his safety and realize the dismal condition of his soldier. Walking on the street one could hear people comparing the passive Indian stance to the active offensive stance of the western countries like the USA.
Term after term, different governments promised to come to an agreement with Islamabad but none actually dealt with the issue of terrorism in a way that would actually put a stop to these barbaric activities.
Back and forth talks like a game of catch is all that the citizens of both the countries got in the name of negotiations.
India continued to absorb the attacks in the name of peace and the concern that a war between two nuclear countries would escalate to a global disaster.
While the strikes conducted by the IAF in the Balakot district of POK received great applause throughout the country, there were a few skeptical voices as well.
This skepticism arose mostly because of the timing of the event which happened to be just before the general elections.
Also, read: Things To Do In Case Pakistan Attacks India, Because What Else Can You Expect From Dumb Pakistan
Even when the fact remains that it was absolutely essential to strike back, one cannot help but wonder if Narendra Modi was and has been attempting to pull an Indira Gandhi.
That is, showcasing military prowess in order to cash in on votes on the basis of nationalism, where a vote against Modi is interpreted as a vote against India and its integrity.
While television news channels used the strikes as well as the capture of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman as a tool to gain TRPs and online stores turned the air strikes into a marketing propaganda with messages such as, India Strikes back, celebrate using the code Indiawins10” whether or not the outgoing government too saw this crisis as an opportunity to score votes remains contentious.
In a country of about 13 crore voters who will be voting for the first time, which is twice the size of France’s population, it becomes very important to carefully lay out the facts and then make a decision.
The Pulwama Attacks exposed the shortcomings of the Indian intelligence- there was no intelligence of any threat or a possible attack in the Pulwama area.
Expenditure on War memorials is justified only when the present force is armed with the most advanced vehicles and weapons that the economy of a country allows.
But the fact that the Indian Air Force still uses Mig-21 Bison, an outdated fighter jet, really raises questions about the allocation of resources by the government.
The past few weeks indeed brought out the flaws in the way the government manages the security of the country but it also proved to the leadership in Pakistan that its neighbor is capable of retaliation.
The Modi government indeed deserves the credit of finally striking back and breaking the myth that India will continue to be the patient neighbor it has been in the name of International peace.
All that the armed forces needed was a nod from the government to be allowed to defend the country and Modi government at least made the effort to do that.
The spoilsport in this entire scenario is the politicization of such a sensitive matter by the political parties.
Comments such as those of B.S. Yedurappa about air strike serving as a wild card for Modi in the elections is uncalled for and exactly what the voter needs to be wary of.
The only force that deserves the entire credit for the air strikes is not the BJP or the Congress but the Indian Air Force, politicizing the bravery of the soldiers would only depict the sad state of Indian politics.
Picture Credits: Google Images
Sources: Indian Express, The Tribune, India Today
Find the blogger: @NehaMustafi
You’d like to read:
