Stop Calling for War from Newsrooms-Turned-Battlefields

Sanity needs to prevail in the media’s discourse amidst tensions between India and Pakistan, writes Smiran Bhandari.

The fever pitch of “let’s go for war” has reached a boiling point and is definitely not a balanced approach to important issues such as national security and defence. (Photo: iStock)

The experience of watching a prime time debate on TV has been transforming quite dramatically over recent times. What used to be sedate and polite discussions over nuances of state policies has now morphed into competitive display of hyper jingoistic fervour among TV anchors. The objective is no longer about undertaking a fact-finding mission to get to the bottom of the story and instead it has become more about indulging in the game of “My Patriotism is greater than yours”.

This dramatic transformation of our prime time experience has reached a crescendo post the surgical strike debates. The decibel levels are rising even more (keep your aspirins handy), tension levels are rising and so are the anxiety levels. It makes one pine for the days when Doordarshan was the only channel available on TV.

One should not get carried away by ballistic TV anchors demanding Pakistani blood and driving themselves and others into a frenzied state of agitation. (Photo: The Quint)

Extremists Are the New Moderates

This is leading to not only a collective increase of the blood pressure of our populace, but also a mainstreaming of opinions which were previously considered extreme.

The extremists are the New Moderates in the current narrative and the previous moderates are now unpatriotic and even anti-national. The armchair experts and anchors sitting in the comfortable environs of air-conditioned studio rooms need to understand the difference between real frontlines in the battlefield and the ones recreated in the TV studio. It’s a different ball game altogether.

The people of the country are feeling a genuine angst about the repeated attacks on our borders and our mainland. But the TV brigades cross a line by manipulating that genuine anger into warmongering rage. The fever pitch of “let’s make war” and similar arguments has reached a boiling point and is definitely not a balanced approach to important issues such as national security and defence.

Cost of War

War has costs at multiple levels and should be considered only when all other options have run out. First of all, our jawans suffer not only physical damage but psychological and emotional injury as well. The TV experts should keep this in mind before they repeatedly suggest war at regular intervals. If the TV experts advocating for war do not have family members who would be in the line of fire, then they really do not know what they are talking about.

Secondly, the experience of previous wars shows the economic impact of war. Growth slows down, inflation goes up, fiscal deficits rise and important national resources get diverted towards war efforts. Poverty alleviation programmes take a hit and measures for infrastructure development go for a toss.

Need a Measured Tone

Having a balanced approach does not imply that we take things lying down. The threat of terrorism should be effectively countered and should be pre-empted whenever possible. In that regard, the surgical strike conducted by the army was a step in the right direction. To complement the military strategy, Indian policymakers are putting in diplomatic efforts to showcase to the world the true face of terrorism, which we all know is emanating from Pakistan.

India’s response has gained acceptance from most countries that matter. But further escalation from hereon can muddy the waters and even nullify the gains made on the military and diplomatic front. If not well thought out, further escalation can easily snowball into a full-blown war. Thus, it becomes important to not get carried away by ballistic TV anchors demanding Pakistani blood and driving themselves and others into a frenzy.

Security forces take positions outside the multi-storied government building, where militants were holed up, at Pampore, 16 kms from Srinagar, 11 October 2016. (Photo: PTI)

Shun the Combative Attitude

We also need to realise that regular Pakistanis are not very different from Indians. We have the same history to begin with. We also have similar cuisine, language, clothing and a common abiding passion for Cricket! In fact, if there is any part of the world which has a bunch of people most similar to Indians, it is Pakistan. Many Indians will be surprised to know that regular Pakistanis enjoy the Indian saas-bahu serials as much as Indians do. Regular people in Pakistan look forward to the release of Indian movies just like we do. That is going to change now due to increasing tensions between the two.

A huge wedge has been driven between two very similar cultures and the rift is widening further. It is unfortunate that Pakistan has been taken over by the military elite and fringe zealots who brainwash young minds in the name of religion to commit terror across and within their border. Understanding this perspective might give a sense of proportion to the current situation. We should not be pusillanimous but we don’t need to be overly combative and bay for blood from our mock battlefields.

(The writer is a thinker, philosopher and has previously worked in the field of equity research and investment banking. He can be reached at @SmiranBhandari. This is a personal blog and the views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)