I am away from home in a faraway country. There are times I get homesick and I long to be home. This itch to be home really reaches a pinnacle, during incidents like the Pulwama attack. The moment the news came up on my Facebook feed, I felt a sudden wave of anger and shock, but when it subsided after a few minutes, I began to join the dots together as an aware youngster, who has a mind of his own. And I began to wonder how a slip-up of this level could take place from our intelligence agencies. The security system in Delhi (even in Delhi Metro or the markets is so tight), how could things have gone unnoticed in Kashmir, where metaphorically speaking, perhaps even a bird can’t flap its wings without permission?
Questions are being raised about this massive intelligence failure and the government is answerable to all the people, who are asking these questions. I did a follow-up of all the Pulwama-related news. I was glued to the news websites and stayed away from news channels.
The next thing I knew, India had conducted a ‘surgical strike’ at Balakot in Pakistan. Though, it might have come across as a decisive step, I have also begun to notice some chinks in BJP’s armour. I feel that they often advertise more than what they actually do at the ground-level, and that might be the undoing of the party. But the janta watches everything. Even though some are not so vocal about their opinion as others, you cannot fool everyone all the ever time.
Over the years, I have understood that war is not the solution. We need mass sensitization of people at ground level. We need genuine engagement with all parties involved in the Kashmir issue, otherwise it might be the end of us all. It is time to end power-games from both sides (India and Pakistan) and genuinely think about solving the issue. We, who were born in the 90s, have no memory of the Kargil War. But we do have memories of the 2008 Mumbai attacks and I believe we really need to put all our energies in finding a solution.
Yes, I do feel important issues have been side-lined in the wake of what happened after Pulwama. People are so busy with the idea of war that they forget the repercussions of a war. But before all the war mongering and calling war a ‘decisive action’ — just picture the bloodied face of Wg Cdr Abhinandan Varthaman or think about the people who have lost their lives. A war between two nuclear powers spells doom for all.
The government needs to address other important issues. It seriously needs to work on job creation, or the youth will become directionless, which is not a good thing for any country. I have come to Canada in the hope of a better future, but I want to go back to India and contribute to the strengthening of its infrastructure (I am pursuing an MBA in Construction Management). We need to strengthen our home so much that no one can dare touch it. And for that, all of us need to individually contribute with our skills.
I haven’t been able to vote so far and sadly this time also it looks improbable because I have just come to Canada and can’t go back home to vote. But if I could, I would still choose to go with Modi, just because I see no other alternative. Here, I interact with people from Pakistan regularly and I must say the world is a better place with love and understanding in it. Hope the Opposition in our country can channelise the power of love and stand up strong and give us alternatives to vote for.
