Kargil Holds a Mirror to Our Rulers
This article was first published in the print edition of Manushi Journal. (Issue-113, Jul-Aug 1999)
Even those societies which effectively resist chauvinist forms of nationalism in normal times, tend to succumb to the influence of jingoists during wartime. Despite the fact that India was treacherously dragged into fighting a difficult and defensive war on terms and terrain chosen by Pakistan, the most heartening aspect in our response to the Kargil crisis was the absence of nationalist hysteria. There were no major hate-soaked or violent demonstrations against Pakistan, though a few low-level politicians did organise their usual ritual protests outside the Pakistani embassy. The media tried and succeeded in mobilising a high pitched nationalist fervour by choosing to become an uncritical mouthpiece of the army. However, the people’s responses were more like a heart-felt display of natural patriotism…