Note: A letter written by an Indian colonel was published prominently on the editorial pages of The News. It can be reached at http://www.thenews.com.pk 'archives opinion' date 14 April 2009. The language was unbecoming and derogatory and demanded a rejoinder. The same was sent expecting that the newspaper will give it due coverage which unfortunately the newspaper didn't despite a reminder by the writer. After waiting for one week the reply is being published here.
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Reply to Colonel Harish's open letter to General Kayani
My dear Colonel Harish!
Before I proceed further, knowing my army chief very well as I did some basic courses with him and served at a couple of places, would like to enlighten you that he is a clear headed man who doesn't squanders his time to read futile and ego-centered pieces, hence any such mail is filtered and dropped in some trash can. The News cared for your feelings not to be hurt, published it and I am replying it so that you are not discouraged either.
I am taking this opportunity to address you for a couple of reasons; first, while addressing Pakistan army's chief, you excessively blew your trumpet and tried to make mockery of my army, and when I say my army that means the army I served for 24 years. The other reason to reply you is general Kayani's hectic professional commitments which prevent him from indulging in useless and worthless stuff pinned on the wall by the empty minds. Let me make it very clear at the outset that your notions about your superiority are totally concocted and just an example of some psycho-syndrome. The earlier you do away with it the better it would be for you. I am shocked and stunned to note that you met just one odd soldier (if at all you met him in Iraq, where God knows what he was doing and how that inopportune came across you) and you formed an opinion about the officer lot of Pakistan army and above all you considered him worth mentioning here in this esteemed paper which trusted you and expected you to produce something worth publishing. I met dozens of Indian soldiers (and officers) during my service days at the flag meetings and at other venues and always found them wishing for, the standard of Pakistan army but I always assumed it as an appreciation for my army.
I think you forgot to read ‘The Himalayan Blunder' by your very own brigadier Dilvi or ‘The Top Brass' by brigadier H S Sodhi, who has critically analysed the Indian military leadership. Or perhaps you live so deep among the fantasies that you don't know even what colonel Prohit with the corroboration of his brother officers did at Maleguon during the most recent past. I suppose you haven't heard that a word of criticism from your enemy should be taken as a citation. You call your army an equal opportunity army? Well, merely offering ‘equal opportunity' is not sufficient. The most important thing is to provide the fair sex, a discrimination- and prejudice-free environment with immense amount of respect and cooperation by their male colleagues, otherwise bosses would keep making sexual advances against girls like fearful Flying Officer Anjali Gupta, who would remain on the run from pillar to post to save their honour. So please I request you to think twice before blowing your horn.
Unfortunately it only happened yesterday that an American female student on a trip to your ‘heavenly' country was raped by a bunch of sexually perverted six young Indians. I am sure you would have not dared to exploit the Swat Flogging video if you would have learnt about this shameful incident before that. Otherwise also you will bear with me that it happens only in India that the poor Dalit girls are forced to run naked on full moon nights and are forced into the Devdasi system of prostitution. Sarita Bai of Kotpuli village was raped by a custodian of the law and in other incidents females are gang-raped at religious places like a temple of Jodhpur, a couple of years back. "More women are killed or injured in sexual assault than through terrorism. Yet, how often have you seen the issue debated in parliament or figuring on political agendas? Leading activist Brinda Karat told the Times of India. Angry residents in Bombay also took to the streets after a drunken policeman raped a girl in daylight on a beachfront boulevard in the city". It's a Reuters report of May 14, 2005 from New Delhi and not my story about meeting a Pakistani soldier in the streets of Iraq.
Since we were discussing the ‘mutual army affairs' so I would not like to show some lost sleep on Indian social and societal affairs. Regarding your hallucinations about the Indian officers leading me and my colleagues, well colonel you may call it insubordination but I, being a committed and motivated soldier would bluntly refuse to serve under some disgruntle fellow who is involved in a colleagues rape case or drug trafficking as a part of the UN peace keeping force abroad.
When you talk about the pictures of surrender then don't forget to confess about those plunders which Indian forces carried out there and also those long hatched conspiracies sponsored by the Indian army and her forerunner RAW. Please don't remind us about the East Pakistan Fall, as we have not forgotten that for a moment and we also know that how that happened.
Colonel! Now while coming to the main point, I would not hesitate to tell you that in your letter you were unable to hide your fears about Taliban invading India but at the same time you expect Pakistan to fight the battle for your survival. I wish you would have thought of that in 1971 when you were meddling in Pakistan's affairs openly.
My army chief is quite clear about his priorities and he knows how to handle and when to tackle his internal militancy problem. He is working as a loyal team member of the government who trusts him and has thrown her weight behind him. For that he doesn't need any adversary advise and that too from a signaler who is not good for anything more than a ‘wilco & over'.
Colonel! How about putting our respective houses in order and stop dreaming about the dismemberment of each other in six months or in a year's time? You are pinning your hopes on the New York Times only while I have the reasons to believe the same in your case especially when minimum 50 independence movements are running inside India out of which at least 18 are full fledge insurgency movements, so better forget it. You are living at Pune where a great art academy is situated. Instead of wasting your time for such activities why don't you join some cultural troupe to spread a word of love (and not hatred)? Just think over it, because it's a sincere neighbourly advice and a strong will to do that plus an academy, both are within your reach.
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Reply to Colonel Harish's open letter to General Kayani
My dear Colonel Harish!
Before I proceed further, knowing my army chief very well as I did some basic courses with him and served at a couple of places, would like to enlighten you that he is a clear headed man who doesn't squanders his time to read futile and ego-centered pieces, hence any such mail is filtered and dropped in some trash can. The News cared for your feelings not to be hurt, published it and I am replying it so that you are not discouraged either.
I am taking this opportunity to address you for a couple of reasons; first, while addressing Pakistan army's chief, you excessively blew your trumpet and tried to make mockery of my army, and when I say my army that means the army I served for 24 years. The other reason to reply you is general Kayani's hectic professional commitments which prevent him from indulging in useless and worthless stuff pinned on the wall by the empty minds. Let me make it very clear at the outset that your notions about your superiority are totally concocted and just an example of some psycho-syndrome. The earlier you do away with it the better it would be for you. I am shocked and stunned to note that you met just one odd soldier (if at all you met him in Iraq, where God knows what he was doing and how that inopportune came across you) and you formed an opinion about the officer lot of Pakistan army and above all you considered him worth mentioning here in this esteemed paper which trusted you and expected you to produce something worth publishing. I met dozens of Indian soldiers (and officers) during my service days at the flag meetings and at other venues and always found them wishing for, the standard of Pakistan army but I always assumed it as an appreciation for my army.
I think you forgot to read ‘The Himalayan Blunder' by your very own brigadier Dilvi or ‘The Top Brass' by brigadier H S Sodhi, who has critically analysed the Indian military leadership. Or perhaps you live so deep among the fantasies that you don't know even what colonel Prohit with the corroboration of his brother officers did at Maleguon during the most recent past. I suppose you haven't heard that a word of criticism from your enemy should be taken as a citation. You call your army an equal opportunity army? Well, merely offering ‘equal opportunity' is not sufficient. The most important thing is to provide the fair sex, a discrimination- and prejudice-free environment with immense amount of respect and cooperation by their male colleagues, otherwise bosses would keep making sexual advances against girls like fearful Flying Officer Anjali Gupta, who would remain on the run from pillar to post to save their honour. So please I request you to think twice before blowing your horn.
Unfortunately it only happened yesterday that an American female student on a trip to your ‘heavenly' country was raped by a bunch of sexually perverted six young Indians. I am sure you would have not dared to exploit the Swat Flogging video if you would have learnt about this shameful incident before that. Otherwise also you will bear with me that it happens only in India that the poor Dalit girls are forced to run naked on full moon nights and are forced into the Devdasi system of prostitution. Sarita Bai of Kotpuli village was raped by a custodian of the law and in other incidents females are gang-raped at religious places like a temple of Jodhpur, a couple of years back. "More women are killed or injured in sexual assault than through terrorism. Yet, how often have you seen the issue debated in parliament or figuring on political agendas? Leading activist Brinda Karat told the Times of India. Angry residents in Bombay also took to the streets after a drunken policeman raped a girl in daylight on a beachfront boulevard in the city". It's a Reuters report of May 14, 2005 from New Delhi and not my story about meeting a Pakistani soldier in the streets of Iraq.
Since we were discussing the ‘mutual army affairs' so I would not like to show some lost sleep on Indian social and societal affairs. Regarding your hallucinations about the Indian officers leading me and my colleagues, well colonel you may call it insubordination but I, being a committed and motivated soldier would bluntly refuse to serve under some disgruntle fellow who is involved in a colleagues rape case or drug trafficking as a part of the UN peace keeping force abroad.
When you talk about the pictures of surrender then don't forget to confess about those plunders which Indian forces carried out there and also those long hatched conspiracies sponsored by the Indian army and her forerunner RAW. Please don't remind us about the East Pakistan Fall, as we have not forgotten that for a moment and we also know that how that happened.
Colonel! Now while coming to the main point, I would not hesitate to tell you that in your letter you were unable to hide your fears about Taliban invading India but at the same time you expect Pakistan to fight the battle for your survival. I wish you would have thought of that in 1971 when you were meddling in Pakistan's affairs openly.
My army chief is quite clear about his priorities and he knows how to handle and when to tackle his internal militancy problem. He is working as a loyal team member of the government who trusts him and has thrown her weight behind him. For that he doesn't need any adversary advise and that too from a signaler who is not good for anything more than a ‘wilco & over'.
Colonel! How about putting our respective houses in order and stop dreaming about the dismemberment of each other in six months or in a year's time? You are pinning your hopes on the New York Times only while I have the reasons to believe the same in your case especially when minimum 50 independence movements are running inside India out of which at least 18 are full fledge insurgency movements, so better forget it. You are living at Pune where a great art academy is situated. Instead of wasting your time for such activities why don't you join some cultural troupe to spread a word of love (and not hatred)? Just think over it, because it's a sincere neighbourly advice and a strong will to do that plus an academy, both are within your reach.
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