Provocative innocence of the (Print) Media Attack on Lt. Gen. (Retd.) K.S. Brar?

Articles 43 on brought on face book by P.H.E. Foundation

Issue needs emotional handling rising above parochial thinking

Media, but print media in particular has been going through tough times of business by managing survival in competition of live information channels. Unfortunately one of the national English newspapers under print from Mohali has been showing similar kind of coverage with juicy kind of presentations as that of done by many print papers between 1980 to 1990 adding fuel to troubles in Punjab state by their sheer INNOCENCE .

The incidence relating to the encounter by an ex Army officers who happened to be associated with Operations in 1984 at Sri Harmandir Sahib is being use d to incite political leaders to come up with instant response to either condemn it or support it ,is very unfortunate & not in the interest of the society at large .

The tragedy for Indian set up is that our national approach is on day to day basis with limited VISION for the current times. Look in for history for such attacks in U.K. earlier when an simple person from Sunam -Punjab took up self mission to settle episode 13th April 1919 by physical attack on 13th March 1940 killing Mr Michael O Dwyer ,former Lt Gen of British Army who approved Jallianwala Bagh Massacre .The Indian nation awarded & declared Shaheed Udham Singh to be a Hero who fulfilled mission to protect the pride of Indian people . The British never reacted like we are crying foul without getting into the fact finding.

The reference is not to absolve who confronted & hurt the Army officer & his wife because the Sikh religion does not encourage violent or undemocratic way of expressions. The physical damage between two warriors uses to take place in the field of war for supremacy. The times stood changed with sea change in human values, priorities and so are the war affairs now guided by more complex minds with lowest level of ethics of actions and meaning drawn out of actions.

Anyway, the political persons of modern times take highest degree of risks ,they may be from ruling class or in opposition while perusing their political goal of life .The statements made by them result in guidance to youth how to view, develop their approach on happenings with fear of likely loss to their state, religion etc. Therefore the border line required stood crossed by the politicians on provocation of the Media resulting in the following titles printed on front page for higher sales in competition with other papers of their new The news that “CM is a coward, should clarify stand” : Captain Terrorism can return, cautions Brar 80s like The persons, who are alleged to have attacked Mr Brar for reasons other than looting him in U.K., may not have also done so for their personal benefits of money, fame, leadership etc and above that Indian media without waiting for confirmation of identity reference of attackers declared this to be an act of some A-B-C militant outfit of Punjab. How responsible we, in the media are and obliging as most faithful carrier of the information tucked in by the actors of the establishment? They (attackers) may not be militants or terrorist who are alleged to be working on guidance for the agenda advancement on behest of foreign countries but just simple human persons who perhaps reacted with an emotional outburst being faith full carriers of their religious practices & were hurt believing the role of this gentleman was not limited to his official duties while supervising Task in 1984.Therefore ,the present case appears to be an isolated case of attack on a personality who happened to be from their own race !

The Indian system earlier picked him up for certain crises management in view of his liberal Army profile such as not strict disciple of his own religion for outer face & other practices of life .His name to be valuable when history is written that some one of Punjab been part of operations etc etc. Above that, the officer appears to have understood the Sikh History with his own prospectus which could be different then the general Sikh masses. His thought process of believing everything did there in 1984 while discharge of his duties was good referring certain undesirable incidents having happened in the Harmandir Sahib are not a compete justification for the Project undertaken .Some of the post narrations made in media after 1984 had been if a particular part of body is troubling ,the doctor make arrangements for treatment of that part of the body but do not hammer or risk damaging whole body When something wrong was noticed to have happened in the premises of the Harmandir Sahib ,specific task may have been carried out to address it but not to wait till opportunity to hammer the whole is desired & awaited ?Any way ,all is a part of history which cannot be rewritten or changed by any of us .

The statement of Captain Amarinder Singh “CM is coward ,should clarify stand” also appears to be just an act of provocation to draw an opportunity get in fresh FOCUS for political reasons and out of his sincerity to a senior officer for he also been from Army line . The response of Gen Brar is reactive, undesirable and not like of being practical in life after knowing the recent history on how Project was developed for hammering the Sikh politicians, particularly Akalies for just political benefits. Gen Brar still could prefer going in to forgive & forget unless he is also angling for political benefits. Some religious man was referring that best course for Gen Brar may have been to appear before Sri Akal Takhat ,ask for forgiveness that whatever he did was a part of duties & nothing beyond was in his mind ,errors /omissions if happened in discharge of his duties by him & his team of soldiers may be pardoned .The reactive statement given is just a reflection of an Army cult, civilians know well how a FAUJI find difficulty settling in civil life and how both address each other .The CM Punjab is right “No link with Punjab militancy revival” therefore ,civilians need not to draw much of meaning out of FAUJI outburst that “80s like terrorism can return ,caution Brar” unless he got access to the system at Delhi for repetitive frame of a programme for Punjab to discredit Akali politicians in the coming times for cheap political benefits at the cost of direct loss to the society !Appeal to Media ,Kindly don’t use emotional part of society life as same kind of news paper fodder pretending innocence !

by : Kulwant Kaur Sandhu ,Punjab Heritage & Education Foundation

 

Updated: July 10, 2014 — 6:15 am