Pride and Shame

MiG-21 crash kills pilot
MiG-21 crashes, kills young pilot

When I read about Flt Lt. Akhouri it’s not primarily sorrow that fills my heart, it is a little bit of sorrow but much more of rage.

A little sorrow because brave people do not like sorrow and I do not wish to offend Flt Lt. Akhouri.

Rage because the government of India does not care. It does not care that thousands of youngsters still queue up every year to admit themselves into the NDA. knowing that they might be required to practice on a flying coffin, it is not what they intended to do when they signed up for serving in the armed forces, they had a pure intention to lay down their lives if required in the call of duty. The duty they had thought that would be defending the country against our enemies, but the enemy lies within. our corrupt politics that gives priority to spending national budget in kickbacks to companies like Enron instead of phasing out the MIG 21s that have claimed so many lives of young talented and inspiring young men and women that they are now called the "flying coffins".

it is rage at the members of opposition who make it their business to enforce that every hoarding and shop in Maharashtra has its name on devnagri script rather than asking the ruling party some real questions, you want vote bank politics "Mr. chief of Ram Sean" chew this bone instead of the pink underwear!

it is rage at 2 penny journalism ethic and TRP motivated story follow up of leading newspapers in India, for whom the unnecessary death of an officer is smaller than the blasphemous MF Husain who made it to TOI's front page for some inconsequential bullshit, where as Flt Lt. Akhouri made a small article on the 3rd or 4th page which I really had to dig out after a careful scan of the newspaper on sep 13th or 15th. I had written to the editor of TOI about this of course I am yet to hear anything back from him.

Flt Lt. Akhouri laid down his life saving innocent villagers, he thought it was his duty and he performed without a doubt in his mind. Though he would have preferred to go down fighting a real enemy instead of a spurious spare part.

And yes like the rest of the youth of India I salute you but I wish I could have shaken your hand