[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t is sad to see persistent attempts being made to create communal frenzy across the country under various pretexts. In the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, we saw a united India condemn the violence unequivocally. That unity is India’s greatest strength. While the public responded with sensitivity and reason, the prime-time mercenaries did everything they could to disrupt peace and stoke polarisation.
They were expecting the Prime Minister to order the complete annihilation of Pakistan—but that hasn’t happened. Instead, what came was the caste census, which they despise. It felt like egg on their face. Is this a Mandal 2.0, as many are suggesting?
To me, it seems more like headline management. But even if that’s the case, let’s hope the government genuinely follows through on conducting the caste census seriously. The only difference is that when VP Singh launched the original Mandal Commission process in 1990, there was complete honesty in that government’s intent. Today, we simply don’t know what will happen. I fear we’re heading toward more polarisation.
Anyway, let’s see how things evolve. I’ve stopped being either too excited or too cynical. Let things unfold. All political parties will make their calculations. The real crisis in India is the absence of true intellectuals. Those who claim to be intellectuals often end up as mere tailors stitching narratives to suit their jaati (caste) leaders or caste interests. While various castes have been clubbed into categories, today’s political leaders are experts at engineering new caste realignments—and that is exactly what we will see.
The government seems to be working on all fronts. On international affairs, there’s wide consensus, so there isn’t much space for the government to manipulate things. The people have punctured their plans to politicise national security. Unlike the Pulwama incident, which gave rise to many conspiracy theories, the Pahalgam attack has offered valuable lessons. The entire nation stood with the government. Still, the Hindutva loudspeakers kept trying to provoke by portraying others as anti-national or by putting words into people’s mouths to create tensions.
The incident in Muzaffarnagar is a prime example. Rakesh Tikait was publicly humiliated, but the move backfired. The truth is that farmers and soldiers have shown far more maturity and reason than our politicians. There’s no point playing games with national security. It takes time. Military leadership knows what to do. There’s significant international pressure as well—neither the Americans nor the Russians want war between India and Pakistan. That’s the geopolitical reality.
So let the bhakts shout, but the military will act according to strategy—not based on the chest-thumping of street-level politicians. Frankly, I’ve found our serving military personnel (not the retired rabble-rousers on prime-time debates) to have a deep understanding of the situation. Remember, a man in uniform is ready to sacrifice his life for the country, but he too knows that war is never the ultimate solution. Those living in border areas understand this better than anyone—they want peace and stability more than anyone else.
Look at the dignified response of Himanshi Narwal, wife of martyred Navy officer Vinay Narwal. Despite losing the most precious person in her life, she spoke out against spreading hatred towards Muslims. It takes immense courage to speak from the heart at such a moment. Salute to Himanshi for her strength and conviction.
Now is the time to rise and speak out against criminals and terrorists—without prejudice. In Uttarakhand, Sangeeta Negi bravely condemned the communal violence in Nainital. She stood firm against punishing an entire community for the act of an individual. And yet today, she receives rape threats from the same communal bigots who stayed silent when Ankita Bhandari was murdered—the accused being the son of a top BJP leader from the state.
We all remember how the narrative around the Nirbhaya case was crafted, but ask yourself: what has changed since 2013? The mindset remains deeply rooted in Brahmanical patriarchy. The outrage resurfaces only when their caste hierarchy is challenged—like when a film on Jyotiba Phule is shown that critiques Brahmanism.
As a nation, India will become truly powerful only when we collectively stand against all forms of violence, intimidation, terror, and goondaism—regardless of caste, gender, or religion. We cannot address today’s crises by selectively using problems for narrow political gains. Let the armed forces do their job based on their expertise and understanding. Let’s not speculate irresponsibly. Politicians chase electoral goals, but it is the brave men and women of our armed forces who guard our borders and defend our lives.
Let us stay united in this difficult hour, and not allow criminal incidents to be used as tools to spread rumour and hate.
