Ride Across the River

Good read. Its because of men like Boba that the country has not lost Punjab and kashmir. Soldiers have to pay a price for wrong policies of the political class. Though there were dark chapters in the fight against terrorism, secutiry forces have started to honor human rights. Army chief has declared that it will be a core factor from now on. Recent conviction of army officer against molestation of a woman being the case.

To the memory of Boba and many other braves like him.Jai Hind.

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Nice Article Dilip.

“Why Srinagar, my friends ask in wonder, why Kashmir? I feel oddly bashful offering the sole answer I have: I`m in search of patriotism. I`m worn out with the variety that only seems like phony posturing to me -- the ``love India or leave it``, ``my country right or wrong`` kind of rhetoric that is applauded as patriotism. I`m searching for different ways to look at this near-holy virtue, different ways it is experienced and lived. Even fought for”.

Dilip you may feel the need to go to Kashmir to find a meaning to Patriotism, but I found it in a bunch of retired folk teaching village children in badoi UP and a bunch of retired doctors who go around treating villagers in gujarat, these doctors have a mobile hospital that they paid for by their own money.

Regards,

Faruk

Dilip, As a celebration of the spirit of Major Ekka, this article is fine.But if you really wanted to look for and understand patriotism in all its nuances, u didnt do too well for yourself. You could have asked more questions, met more people.
You have unanswered questions.
But protection from whom? The people they are themselves charged with protecting?
You should have voiced them.
You could have become part of the dialogue between the person who said-
``These soldiers are all stupid goondas.``
And the one who said-
``The thrill of hunting, you know? And then we shoot the fucker down.``

So what does this article say?

I am disappointed. This is perhaps the first pointless article from Dilip D`Souza, or the point is so subtle that it gets lost.

Re: # 7
Dear Mittar,

would please tell why you found the article is pointless.I found it a fairly well balanced presentation of the reality.
thanks

Slan

A great deal of writing is realistic yet pointless.

The author raises questions which are thought provoking.

The author raises questions which are thought provoking.

It`s well written but somewhere along the line the writer loses focus. Patriotism isn`t something easy to define or understand if you don`t look at it from the statist or the rightist perspective. When I started reading I thought Dilip was going to explore something new. Unfortunately, that doesn`t happen. All I get is the likeable Sikka is a patriot because he could make contact with and become one of the civilians. Which in itself though commendable isn`t something extraordinary. My feeling is there`s more to Sikka`s personality which the writer has missed.

This is what I understood: the writers is ina self-agrandization mode. I am so cool, I hear all these things about kashmir, so I checked it out, so I hung out with the pashmina-seller and a few stupid jawans protecting other jawans, and sometimes I drank some chai. aint I cool?

Hey Dilip,

It is difficult for the army men living there especially when faced with transient visitors who see it only from a very narrow point of view. When the taxi guy asked you whether he looked like a terrorist...he might not have...but does anyone know what a terrorist looks like. That is the whole point of terrorism and that is what differntiates them from Army. They don`t wear uniforms and declare their intentions. It seems to be easy to ride on the army and say that they are making life difficult. Make no mistake, Army is there to protect and they have to fight terrorists to provide that security. The inconvenience to the civilian population is caused not by the armymen on patrol but by terrorists because of whom the army has to be there. The lights have to be on in the Sumo not because the army wants it but because otherwise terrorists would shoot from a darkened vehicle.

Coming back to the question, does a terrorist look like ``balding, shambling, slightly flabby man``? Does a bomb look like a bicycle under a tree?