Tomichan Matheikal's blog

India has retaliated. My morning news on Asianet used the word ‘revenge’ gleefully. India has taken revenge on Pakistan . A few friends texted me personally to imply that Modi, whose faithful critic I have been, is a real hero, fit to be a world champion. A septuagenarian and former professor of sociology quoted Modi proudly: “ Ab Bharat ka pani Bharat ke haq mein bahegi. ” Now India’s water will flow for India’s benefits. The rivers flowing into Pakistan have been blocked by Modi. My response to the prof, who is apparently aging without acquiring wisdom, was: “That’s a jingoistic view. I’d put is as: India won’t tolerate terrorism and we know how to deal with it.” I’m not against violence per se. You can’t preach nonviolence to an aggressive buffalo, as a proverb in my mother tongue says. I salute India’s latest action on Pakistani terrorists. They deserve it. However, my question to my old prof friend – who is as much a fan of Modi as I am his critic – is: Does that retaliati...

Historical Fiction “My force is ready, Sweetie,” said Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw on 3 Dec 1971.  Indira Gandhi did not display her annoyance at being called Sweetie because she could not afford the display at that time, much as she loved displays.  She wanted to win the war with Pakistan and Manekshaw was the only person who could do it for her.  It took seven months for the military leader of India to give her the assurance that his fighters were ready.  Ms Gandhi wanted immediate solutions.  Manekshaw said, “I’m a fighter.  Honest fighter.” Seven months ago, his question to Ms Gandhi the Prime Minister was, “Have you read the Bible?” “What has the Bible got to do with this?” asked Sardar Swaran Singh, Foreign Affairs Minister.  “See the first pages.  ‘Let there be light,’ said God.  And there was light.  Now you say, ‘Let there be war.’  And there will be war.  Wars can take place at the whim and fa...