Coming out of the womb of Indian sub-continent or Bharatmata both the neighbours have tested that if one could slap, the other could hit back with fisticuffs. The result – the people loses and leaders rejoice.
Playing Little Singham is the cheapest way of releasing energy and keep cool for many new generation kids. Usually it does not have a cost except for some bruises and then happily again play together.
Wish nations also could master that art. Nations are not let off with that ease. It has a cost on nation’s ego, fancy of leaders, societal jingoism, and targeted violence against “real” enemies living next door and of course the military ops, which are not imaginary. And wars are led by vested interests.
All nations thrive on some kind of patriotism and veiled jingoism. The love-hate relationship between India and Pakistan for continuing the 1947 partition mindset has huge costs on both the nations.
Yes, the two-day war games have inflicted – for the satisfaction of all Indians – a heavy cost on Pakistan as it loses fighter jet. An F-16 today costs not less than $ 15 million. The cost of flying 20 aircraft to India and dropping/losing bombs, closing airspace, heightened security and convincing its people is an approximate $ 500 million. It should not bring smiles.
The cost for India is higher as MiG is crashed. A MiG-21 is said to have crossed a whopping $ 25.1 million dollars. Coordinated flights from different bases far off the borders, stealth movements, closing of at least nine airports, detour for commercial planes because of closure of Pakistani air space, the cost of sophisticated bombs, heightened security double that Pakistan would have spent.
A trained pilot is injured and captured by the “enemy”. Good the enemy prime minister Imran Khan despite some unsavoury comments decides to return him with dignity. It showed jingoism could cost the sobriety of an international player. This does not include the cost of losing Mi 17 copter, which was supposedly not on a “war” sortie and killed six Indian Air Force personnel and a civilian in Budgaon in J&K.
The copter itself costs $ 16 to 18 million to US army. Lives are invaluable but the cost to families cannot be fathomed. The emotional loss to the nation can never be calculated.
Coming out of the womb of Indian sub-continent or Bharatmata both the neighbours have tested that if one could slap, the other could hit back with fisticuffs. The result – the people loses and leaders rejoice.
Rulers and their rival opposition feel happy as they shoot barbs with the impending elections in mind. The actual cost is heavier as the Atalji’s bus and Samjhauta Express, trade and many “normal” is stopped. The cost of resumption, which may be sooner than later, would be higher as diplomats, security and civilian officials fly to each other’s territories for renegotiations and re-demarcations.
Don’t forget it would also have a cost on the media as they also deploy their teams to start a “new normal”
This all at a time, when both the neighbours are striving to keep floating their economies as GDP continues to plummet.
India and Pakistan suffered more beyond the 1965 and 1971 battlefields. Both the nations had suffered high inflation, famine deaths and other losses. The political costs were heavier for Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Indira Gandhi despite they being the finest leaders of the Indian subcontinent.
Pakistan did not calculate the cost of Bhutto’s 1000-year war cry. That led Pakistan into the trap of terrorists – first it promoted Khalistan, that bled itself as also India leading to Indira Gandhi’s assassination and then Islamic outfits for the last over 30 years. It has disturbed world peace and led to Afghanistan, Iraq and Arab wars.
Pakistan is responsible for the disturbed peace in Asia.
The inflicted cost for India, if the war continues, estimated at modest level is Rs 27 crore per hour, as per Shekhar Gupta in India today fortnightly. A 1000 hour or 41.6 day war would cost India Rs 27,000 crore if India wins, according to Gupta. The actual military estimation would be far higher.
And after all such expenses, the target – arms, drugs, human traffickers and money launderers – would go unscathed as apparently the IAF bombings in Balakot in Pak-administered-J&K has done. The 300 deaths claimed heightened passion but IAF could not vouch for it. Nation can neither thrive on passion nor on emotion.
The worst is the unrestrained cacophony of undertrained TV channels and social media. A “patriotic” media conceals more, an IIMC study on Kargil in1999 testify.
The 2014 was watershed for Indian democracy. Aspirations were high even in the Kashmir valley. Hurriyat was sulking. The finest decision of BJP and PDP coming together to form government raised hopes.
But the hopes were belied as there was more dependence on brute force and pellet guns. Non-negotiation was boasted as signal of strong governance. It was not different from what the Congress unfortunately did for long.
The Valley people were dismayed. Hurriyat once again came back to centre-stage. The nation has lost an opportunity of assimilating its own people.
That is the folly. Neither India nor Pakistan could come out yet of the 1947 failed mindset. Communal harmony of Mahatma Gandhi, then a bold initiative against Jinnah’s two-religion-two-nation theory, did not succeed in the next seven decades.
Jinnah’s own Pakistan was split as it was found religion does not bind people.
Unfortunately against basic concept of secular Hindu tolerance and assimilation, a “rabid” Hindu emerged. Non-Hindus became targets of distrust. Cow vigilantism today is dividing the core Hindu rural farmers as the stray cattle rummage their corps.
The nation assimilates. Outburst of emotions distance, if not divide, its people.
The Hindus have the capacity to lead and make this nation the wonder of the world. They are good at heart and can take lead to assimilate not only different religious denominations within but beyond borders, even in Pakistan.
It is the land of Buddha, who had transformed large parts of Asia. The Singham war must start process of assimilating the people of the sub-continent or Akhand Bharat. That would be the real war beyond borders against the terror mafia.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dynamism. Used positively it can transform the sub-continent but for its success Modi has to replace his advisers. Let there no more be a Singham war for the happiness and prosperity of the region.
Shivaji Sarkar