Restrained and targeted

 

After horrifying Islamic terror attack against innocent tourists –who came from different part of the country hence the magnitude of people’s anger, Indian government is left with no other option but to target terror camp across the loc that nurture terrorism and brainwash vulnerable youth. Monster mullahs –rabid dogs, are always threat to humanity and Pakistan state has failed to rein them in –indeed are used as strategic tool by Sunni state. What must be however kept in mind is that most people are decent self aware souls caught up in wrong place and are equally concerned and against these violence. Hence utmost care must be taken to restrict civilian casualty. Pakistan has foundational issues, a country, a society, based on religion creates herd and are incapable to see humanity. Its army is too radicalized and not entirely controlled by civilian authority complicating the matter. Discussion has become futile as there is no controlling authority and terror groups are nurtured as non-state players as was made amply clear in the aftermath of audacious 2008 Mumbai terror attack as Indian govt failed miserably to respond and take stringent action while Pakistan authorities feign innocence despite clear evidence.  

In the aftermath of attack in kashmir –what was essentially a massacre of hindu tourists, social media became free for all. Barbarism of Islam, and appalling mentions in ‘holy’ text, were openly dissected and ridiculed. Religion must be ridiculed, and Islam surely has problems aligning with civilized norms. But to confine this to only Islam is problematic. As the occasion presents same enthusiasm must be shown in future to bring out barbarian values of Hinduism, and its deep disconnect with humanity must be eviscerated. Meanwhile beware of western narrators –specifically british eloi's religiophilia (compulsive islamophilia of sunni variety, and normalizing caste cannibals who now position as diversity- beleaguered, while cleverly replacing blacks), these are worst kind of people who use common people to fill their moral ethical gaps. These lazy narration controllers have exaggerated presence due to colonialism facilitated reach and feudal consolidation. Also note the reason for such heartbreaking situation in kashmir is also due to irresponsible self centred divisive politicians who ruled for last 70years, and used colonial template to keep the place ghettoized to showcase their moral high grounds at the expense of common people.   

War is the last tool and indicates breakdown of humanity, hopefully this doesn’t spiral into full fledged war and is contained to target terror groups. Hindutva nationalism belligerence must be restrained. India has support of international community as Pakistan has failed to control terror outfits. The onus is also on Pakistan to be responsible. Peace cannot be at the expense of lives of common people. Those days of manipulating narration of common people as collateral for bigger cause is over.  

The other day I was reading a short story by Luigi Pirandello titled War –a story written in early 20^th century (I recently got a book that has best of short stories from this period, all these years I was keen on short stories from 1960 onwards except maybe few masters. This is the case for movies too). War is a two page story that is executed with skilful dexterity and so much empathy that leaves you stunned. Unlike stories I prefer, with deep underlying loops and unstated patterns that wrench into reality, this one is plainly worked so that it is deceptive while deeply moving when you least expect. I also favor less of interactions and more of silence created complex ambience to work the rest. This story has interactions of simple people caught up in extraordinary situation, not of their making, as they cling to one they love very much aware that this going to end badly. Set during WW1 it is about Italian families in a train to see off their son/sons/relatives to the war front. Grim discussion ensues as to what is great suffering –those with one child or those with multiple children at risk? While some share stories of horror at the front. A man who lost his son argues that children belong to the nation and not to their parents and that young men willingly die for their country. This stoic patriotism of the man who lost his son stuns a middle aged woman who is grief stricken for her only son and who hadn’t spoken so far. She starts to question her own sorrow as selfishness. “Then suddenly, just as if she had heard nothing of what had been said and almost as if waking up from a dream, she turned to the old man, asking him: 'Then …is your son really dead?'. Everybody stared at her. The old man, too, turned to look at her, fixing his great, bulging, horribly watery gray eyes, deep in her face. For some time he tried to answer, but words failed him. He looked and looked at her, almost as if only then –at that silly, incongruous question –he had suddenly realized at least that his son was really dead –gone for ever –for ever. His face contracted, became horrible distorted, then he snatched in haste a handkerchief from his pocket and, to the amazement of everyone, broke into harrowing, heart rending, uncontrollable sobs.” What a wonderful writer.        

It is a story stripped of traditional-cultural-religious compulsions (what I strongly detest, and indeed demean the human experience, with low skilled compromised writers these are fertile sinkholes incapacitated to redeem humanity but to cleverly use as an opportunity to gather attention –they write for audience) or maybe all these quantified in metaphor of state, and speaks to predicaments of being a human in bleakest of times as death looms. The surprising level of empathy it brings out and an ability to connect to the suffering soul left me deeply distressed and aware. Brought up in cheap sentimental entertainments and tawdry crude sensibilities of Indian mainstream, it took me lot of time and effort to shrug these from my being and create evolved framework of aesthetics and nuanced outlook –it is a work in progress and I do sometimes fall into base. So even though this writer uses emotions it doesn’t slip into sentimental cringe, it carries the dignity of life, not defiance but realization of fragility. It is high art at display with deft use of words, not only a profound understanding of human condition but a deep felt empathy and anguish for humanity that is rare.