Pilot Project?

Wing Commander Abhinandan, whose aircraft was hit wile
he was engaged in dogfight with Pakistani aircraft over Pak
occupied Kasmir. He ejected and was captured by Pakistan Army

Yesterday (28/02/19), the Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan said he will send back the captured IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman to India as a “gesture of peace”.

We do not know if it really would be a gesture of peace, or the result of international diplomatic pressure, or if it was based on some sinister calculation. But on the face of it, this certainly is a civilized step in keeping with international laws.

Minutes after Imran Khan announced this, as the entire country was about to heave a collective sigh of relief, his counterpart here, Narendra Modi said; “Abhi ek pilot project pura ho gaya. Abhi real karna hai, pehle toh practice thi.” (We have just completed a pilot project. Now we must do the real thing, the earlier one was practice.) [Reported in Times of India today]

What the heck does he mean?

Firstly, in response to a civilized gesture by a neighbouring country, our prime minister uses gutter language to address a grave national issue. In the process, he brings shame to every Indian. Remember Rajiv Gandhi and his infamous “naani yaad aa jayegi”?

Secondly, the tasteless pun between an Indian Airforce pilot and a pilot project in a lab cannot be missed. While the country looks forward to welcoming back a hero who almost lost his life defending his country, for this PM, this wonderful man is just a

PILOT PROJECT and tool for PRACTICE!!!

How much lower can our prime minister sink?

We know that we have an unrefined windbag as our PM, and the man is full of hubris. But has he lost his marbles? Didn’t he even recognise that this is too solemn a moment for mouthing cliched dialogues of third-rate Bollywood villains?

Finally, what does he mean by “Abhi real karna hai …”? To me, it seems nothing but a threat of going to war, ignoring the enormous cost of a war, both economic and in terms of human lives, something that should be obvious to even a child?

He is a prime minister because he won 31% of popular votes and a majority in Parliament. That does give him the power to rule. But at a time of national crisis, when a decision can plunge this already struggling country into devastation, can his be the only head to decide?

Should he not dispassionately judge the triggers and the consequences of a possible war? Shouldn’t he take the opposition into confidence? Should he not listen to experts who can quantify the humongous price that the country will pay in case of a war? Should he not try to assess what the people of the country want?

Respected Prime Minister, I know that the bikau media and your supporters are crying themselves hoarse, urging you to “teach them a lesson”, whatever the cost might be. We also know that through a relentless campaign to please you, a section of the media has been able to drum up some amount of hysteria.

But we, the people of India have not given the bikau media and your unthinking foot soldiers the right to represent us. Never, not in a million years.

*

As if the words were not terrible enough, the occasion Modi chose for chest thumping was far more inappropriate. It was the ceremony to award Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology. Bhatnagar Award is the most prestigious recognition for young scientists of our country. These are the men and women, some of who will go on to become the Prashanta Chandra Mahalanobis, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, or APJ Abdul Kalam tomorrow.

And I would hang my head in shame if what the Times of Modi has reported this morning is true: “The applause (Modi's comments quoted above) generated made it clear that the audience had not interpreted it as related to their chores, but read it in the contemporary context that more action could follow in case Pakistan did not take action against Phulwama plotters.”

Cry, my Country.

Friday, 01 March 2019