ok, before you read ahead, here is the disclaimer for this blog:
All the statements, written below are bona fide views of mine. I am not forced, influenced or paid to write down these sentences. All the words written below are not meant to hurt, blame or make fun of any political party, terrorist group or Mr. kapil sibbal.
Here I go,
In past few days, I have came across a shocking news that Sarbjit Singh, an Indian who was imprisoned in a Pakistan jail, was attacked brutally by fellow prisoners and killed. Nobody (accept our dear neighbors know the truth about the ad-hoc attack, or I should call it a, well planned cold blooded murder. But the time span, when this attack came into the news, the outrage of Indian citizen and blunt words of, so called patriotic political parties, were in the air and riding the media really hard. This has became our habit and this is the first (and last) thing we do in India, as a tradition, whenever such dreadful incident happens.
As usual, outrage couldn't find a way to pass, and thus everyone abused Pakistan authorities while watching news on their television.. that's it, it is exactly like housewives crib for their kamwali bai. Within few hours, it was confirmed that Sarbjit Singh is dead. Our dear honest neighbors made a statement that Sarbjit Singh had his last breath in hospital where he was admitted after the attack. Some of socialists and media tycoons, claim to have a strong proof that Sarbjit Singh was already dead and all the scene of hospitalizing him and availing the best possible treatment was nothing but a deceitful rehearsed set of incidences.
Indeed it was a pathetic attempt by Pakistan but that's not what I actually cared about. All I am concerned about, is the Indian mentality.. we, the Indians, never cared about the facts and reality. All we keep thinking about is our emotions. Yes, of course we felt bad for Sarbjit Singh but not when we came to know that he was attacked brutally but when we saw the footage of his mother and sisters crying on the news channels. A minute before this incidence, no one ever gave a damn about India-Pak relation, apart from few political parties and some departments of central government.
Undoubtedly, this act was a shameful, deceitful and a savage step taken by Pakistan and they should apologies for everything happened (oh god, did I just said this..!! ) but currently, what I am talking about is INDIA's perspective.
The great Indian media, where print media and news channels plays a pivotal role, in propagating the news, as well as influencing people of nation, about intentions behind the act and the consequences, but what our media actually did, was showing that footage in a loop, where Sarbjit Singh's family members are crying and begging for justice, along with shacking titles in the bottom and a low pitch voice over in extra loud sound. Even the newspapers mentioned the whole act on front page along with spontaneous editorials, full of nothing but euphemistic words and almost-abusive language used for Pakistan They keep printing, Sarbajit Singh's family's photograph on front page for almost 3 days and inner pages were full of interviews with Sarbjit's relatives (and some of them featured them, with the title as "words of pain" and "acidic tears").
Not blaming any news channel or journalist or any newspaper here, but my question is.. Is this what Indians care about? Is this what we want to watch, know and discuss about?
Newspaper printed photograph of Sarabjit's family members crying, TV channels showing the same footage in loop (some of them also added the thunderbolt effects on the video and played "chitti na koi sandesh, kaha tum chale gaye" in the background).. what does all of these means. It means, we the Indians, want to watch footage like this only and would like to read a news in this tone of words only. Only few news channels, showed the facts and reality of how Sarbjit Singh actually crossed the border, how his family members and his supporters were fighting for his release since decades, what Pakistan's authorities has to say about this in a single quoted statements.
Nobody gave a damn to know about, from when he was imprisoned in Pakistan, why he was there, and if Pakistan actually wanted to kill him, why did they killed him after 23 years of imprisonment ? They could have done it before.. why did they never believed him and tried to figure out his true identity.
If any of body from India, dares to find out the correct answer of these question, then only I can believe that ethics of media and journalism exist in our country. If any of the newspaper, would have printed an interview with the authorized person of Pakistan government about Sarbjit's case.. I would have claimed it as a genuine journal. But no, all this thoughts are the wonderful memories of La-La-Land.. they doesn't exist in real India, what actually exists in India is a mobile number where you can give a miss call to give a tribute to Sarbjit Singh (as if after getting a certain number of miss-call, the Pakistan will send as an apology letter.. my foot)
The epic-ness, wasn't ended here... The so called political parties and departments of central government, always believed that "if we cannot cook a meal, atleast clean the dishes". After everything happened, the tycoons of our society, including socialists gave Sarbjit Singh a title of a "martyr"... WOW. They proclaimed him as a brave martyr and asked government to name a road, bridge, convention centers, hospitals etc on him name.
Here is the point where I felt little offended. No doubts Sarbajit Singh was brave, as he fought for his will till his last breath, he survived through a great pain and whatever happened with him was very sad. But, is that what a martyrdom means?
Lets get back to the fact I was talking about earlier. Sarbjit Singh wasn't hand picked by Pakistan government to be kept in prison, niether he was a soldier who caught by army troop of Pakistan and imprisoned. Sarbjit singh was a farmer, and in 1990, he crossed the border mistakenly, when he was coming back to home with his friend. He was lost in the way in the dark, and he was drunk (no kidding FYI). Though, he tress-passed the border line mistakenly, but it was his own mistake. He was not on the war, neither forced to cross nor pulled by some one from Pak side.
Its Pakistan's inhuman-ness that they took so long time to investigate the case and cross check his real identity. Whatever happened here was bad, not just for Sarbjit Singh and his family members but also for India-Pak relationship.. this incidence made that relationship even more bitter (though, it wasn't sweet since 1948)
A martyr or a shaheed, is the one who fights for his country, who devotes his life to serve for his country and his dear citizens. Sarbjit singh was fighting but for his own relief not for India's reputation. Sarbjit Singh's family member were in pain, and even I feel pity for them, but for me, martyr's definition is pretty much different and i couldn't connect this incidence with martyrdom or serving for nation, anyhow. It was good till, offering a government job to family members in consolation and naming a road on Sarbjit's name, but giving him a title of martyr was pretty offensive. For me that title, is highly respectful and extremely esteemed. I felt bad for Sarbjit Singh and his family but can never respect him just because he was killed in an attack in a Pakistan's jail, where he was imprisoned.
I am nobody to blame any political party leader or any socialist, neither I have an authority to point finger at someone. But sorry to say, I object giving away a title of martyr.
