WAR is often described as a conflict between two or more countries which accompanies use of weapons and results in loss of lives. In order to protect their populations, countries try their best to avoid it and use diplomatic means to resolve issues. Even the international community tries its best to broker peace between warring factions so that hostilities can end. …and this is why wisemen say that words and descriptions should never be taken at the face value.

 

 

 

They often are surfaces iced-up, below which a lot of water - cold and icy - flows. The recent interlude in ‘peace’ on our western front removed the cover from so many things. Our terrorism-hit neighbour’s good intentions and respect for ‘proof’, international community’s commitment to justice and fair play, rule of international law, world media’s adherence to honest reporting - all came to the fore with all their ‘multi-layered niceties’. The powerful Indian Air raids not only wiped-out terrorist camps, but also penetrated deep inside the warm icy layers of goodwill. Our dear neighbour performed poorer than expected again in a boisterously publicised military’s escapade, but these few days did a lot of ‘breaking the ice.’ When war comes knocking at your doors, it is natural that there is a lot of ice and fire. While the international community was ice-ing up, our own was all fired-up.

 

It was time to stand by the nation…and how! Though social media might (should) go down in history as a very poor scribe of events, to an objective, discerning reader, it can give a wonderful insight into the people, forces that drive them and what fuels their imagination. So, while Pakistani drones were drowning Indian air bases, India too had captured Lahore! Our EAM S Jaishankar was apologising to the nation for its defeat in war in a particularly queer Pakistani accent, Indian jets were ‘put’ on fire and Indian soldiers ‘captured’, the extent of fake news in our poor dear neighbourhood was so intense that Pakistanis were actually celebrating victory. Then there was the matter of war-preparedness. The list of dos and don’ts came at lightning speed from aunties on WhatsApp groups - much faster than any official communique.

 

There were ‘directives’ to store 2-3 months of supplies, the type of curtains required in the event of blackout and all the traditional ways to survive a curfew, when the ‘very-ordinary’ modern equipment fails. I bet, the military mock drills in cities were not as tough as were aunties’ dos and don’ts! All true-blue Indians would agree that we may take government notifications rather casually, but directives from aunties are sacrosanct. You cannot take their chilling directives with a pinch of salt, especially when they are themselves ‘war veterans’ - I mean they were there when the 1971 war happened and know all about blackouts, sirens and air raids. And when the ‘war’ is between two nuclear powers, the word that becomes most sacrosanct is – cow-dung. The scientists and scholars may continue to debate over its utility, but I really liked my aunt’s suggestion that it could do no harm but to take a bagful along when one is told to take cover in underground bunkers or in basements. For, all you know, it can offer a ‘smelly’ protection. Thankfully, our strong Air Force has proved that some Iron Domes are truly made of iron, for the men protecting those are made of steely resolve.

 

My teenage daughter thought all the fuss was so unnecessary. It was only when I told her that Internet services can also be suspended during a war, that the full horror of a war became clear to her. I found her now respecting a generation which could live without the Internet and survive wars and long power cuts. In these few days, I have realised that as much as the tough times of war unite people, bringing their patriotic fervor to fore, it also gives a spurt to people’s creativity and tickles their sense of humour. When gifted with such a decisive victory by your forces, happiness needs a vent and off goes the creative gene. Such victories do tickle your joke-cular vein. One look at the meme fest and you can not but laud your people’s agile sense of humour and creative genius.

 

While the social media may be full of fake news, these memes often pull a punch at the darkest layers of enemy lies, telling the true story, while also offering some hearty laughs. So, when the talk is about breaking the ‘ice’, some layers within also need penetration of light, warmth and crystal-clear waters of understanding so that no verbal ‘line of control’ is crossed. The comments regarding Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Col Sofiya Qureshi and thousands of misunderstood trolls insist that we expand our ability to perceive and understand and cross no lines of decency. There seems a certain urgency among certain sections to pinpoint faults.

 

Some seem constantly on look-out of who ‘ghar ka bhedi’ is. But wisdom says ‘Jiska kaam usi ko saajhe.’ Our agencies have demonstrated that they are perfectly capable of handling probes and will do what needs to be done in an absolutely professional manner. It would be nice and adhering to our believed values of fair play that such operations are done by specialists. They cannot be a guess work of troll armies. The world will continue with its songs of fire and ice. We can humour them sometimes with polite indifference and sometimes by serving a platter full of truths enough to break its layered, checkered history of ifs and buts. Satyameva Jayate. n