Tuesday 9 February 2016

Why we don't deserve to be a Superpower!

The reason why we can only dream of being a superpower is because we Indian's don't have it in us what Americans have,the respect and care for the Military personnel.

People remember God only when they or a member of their family is in trouble.Likewise,people remember Soldiers only when the enemy is at the gates or whenever there is a natural calamity like earthquake or floods.But what does our government do once the conflict gets over or after the rescue operation launched following the calamity gets over,it denies them their rightful due.We deny them OROP(ONE RANK ONE PENSION) despite knowing that military personnel start retiring at the age of 36 years.Worse even we civilians turn a blind eye to our men who did violence on our behalf on many occasions so that we could sleep safely in our house.Last year on the eve of Independence Day,agitating ex-servicemen demanding OROP were manhandled by the Delhi Police ironically for security purpose.

Not only our government , but we as a nation have always denied our soldiers their due.Worse, we
have even forgotten that 56 of our men are languishing  in Pakistan jails since 1971.We Indians have
always failed miserably when it comes to negotiation.We released more than 92000 Pakistan soldiers following Shimla agreement without getting our men back who were captured by Pakistan during the
1971 war despite knowing that Pakistan had captured some of our men.What baffles me is why a leader like Indira Gandhi and COAS Maneckshaw couldn't get our 56 men repatriated when we released more than 92000 Pakistan soldiers.

Pakistan has always denied our charge.They have always done so not only when it came to POW but also denied that Osama Bin Laden was hiding in Pakistan or for that matter.

We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.Indira Gandhi discontinued
#OROP in 1973,Two years after 1971 war.We have always been foolish when it comes to negotiation,Whether it was 1965 where we gave away to Soviet Union Pressure for signing a peace agreement in Tashkent or  Shimla Agreement,where Indira Gandhi could have bargained for POK in return for repatriation of over 92000 Pakistan soldiers.

No Prime Minister except for P.V.Narasimha Rao showed any interest in bringing back our soldiers.None of our COAS all these years did nothing for the cause.

It will always remain a mystery how a leader like Indira Gandhi failed to get our men back.This when there was clear proof of our men being held in Pakistan jails.

On December 9, 1974, M L Bhaskar, an Indian spy who was repatriated under the Shimla Agreement of 1972 after spending seven years in Pakistani jails told the Indian government that about 40-50 Indian Defense personnel were being held at the time at Attock Fort.


Take for example Major A.K.Ghosh

The above picture is that of Major A.K.Ghosh in Pakistan Jail.This picture was published in Time Magazine dated December 27,1971.

Major Ashok Suri:-
On January 7, 1972, the capture of Ashok Suri of Faridabad was mentioned in the Punjabi Darbar program of Radio Lahore.On December 26, 1974,Ashok Suri's father, received a handwritten note by Ashok Suri dated December 7, 1974.On August 13, 1975, R.S. Suri received a note dated 14, 15 and 16 June 1975 from Karachi written by Ashok Suri disclosing that there were 20 officers detained in Pakistan.

Flight Lieutenant V.V. Tambay:- 
The Sunday Pakistan Observer, dated December 5, 1971, published from Rawalpindi that five Indian pilots have been captured alive. One of the names published was that of Flight Lieutenant Tambay.Tambay's wife had a chance meeting in 1978 with a Bangladeshi Naval Officer who was taken prisoner in Pakistan during the warIn Lyallpur jail, he had come across a person named TambayThe Officer remembered that Tambay had a scar on the chin (which was true she confirmed).Daljit Singh, who was repatriated from Pakistan on March 24, 1988saw Flight Lieutenant Tambay at the Lahore Interrogation Centre in February,1978.Tambay's name was mentioned in Karachi Sunday Observer as Flt Lt Tombay among four pilots captured alive..

Captain Ravinder Kaura:-
Captain Ravinder Kaura's name was announced on Radio Lahore on December 7, 1971.
Mukhtiar Singh,who was repatriated from Pakistan on July 5, 1988, said that Captain Kaura was in Multan jail around 1981 and was presently in Kot Lakhpat jail.

Government on many occasions has publicly acknowledged that our men are still languishing in Pakistan Jails,But did nothing for their return.

In 1979, Union minister of state for defence production,Samarendra Kundu told Parliament that 40 Indian defence personnel were still in Pakistan jails.

On September 4, 1996, two members of the Rajya Sabha, O.P. Kohli and Satish Pradhan, asked I.K. Gujral, then minister of external affairs, Whether the government was aware that as many as 40 defense personnel were Captured by Pakistan during the 1971 Indo-Pak conflict were still in Pakistan custody. The minister replied that according to available, 54 missing Indian defense personnel were believed to be in Pakistan's custody.

Chuck Yeager,the US Air-Force pilot who was the first person to exceed the speed of sound also revealed in an autobiography that during the 1971 war that he had personally interviewed Indian pilots captured by the Pakistanis. IAF Pilots were of particular interest to the Americans because, at the height of the Cold War, the men had attended training 

in Soviet Union and were flying Soviet designed and manufactured aircraft.

Other Nations have always gone out of the way when it came to the lives of their soldier's.
The Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange was a 2011 agreement between Israel and Hamas for the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in exchange for 1,027 terrorists.

On June 3, 1973,Israel exchanged 46 Syrian prisoners for 3 Israeli Air Force pilots who were in Syrian captivity for three years.

Robert Bergdahl,the lone American soldier captured by Taliban was released in exchange of 5 Taliban detainees.

Pakistan has always stabbed us not from back,but from front but we Indian's never learn.
Those who don't learn from History are condemned to repeat it.

Government has taken a bold move to engage with Pakistan,but we should extend our hand only if Pakistan releases our men,which in all probability they will never do.We have chosen to forget the very same men who gave us a decisive victory in 1971.Do u still think,we can become a Superpower?Or Do we deserve to a Superpower.The answer is no.