The Old Rocking Horse

The old rocking horse in the room,

Takes me to the place where wild roses bloom.

I travel seas and far off lands,

And have daring adventures with the prince so grand.

Oh! The dreams that we dream; my ol' horse and I,

Fighting with dragons on mountains so high.

I can go soaring like an eagle up in the sky,

Dancing with fairies as lovely as I.

The ol' rocking horse by the fire,

Burning bright, with eyes of sapphire.

A promise he does whisper in my ear,

"YES; I'M WITH YOU! I'LL ALWAYS STAY HERE."

At deep, deep dusk; when I  close my eyes to sleep,

My rocking horse enters my room with a leap!

I ride with him to the spacious Moon,

Go dancing with fairies and witches on their brooms...

~ YASHASHVI

Tit for Tat.... Time to Denounce

The ban on the Pakistan actors by IMPPA (Indian Motion Picture Producers Association), has brought forth divided reactions across sections of the society. The likes of Salman Khan, Karan Johar & a few others have come out strongly against the ban.
Yes, these actors are not terrorists, they are neither enemy aliens, but lets understand, they are Nationals from Pakistan. Their loyalties are with Pakistan & if news in the social media is to be believed, then after reaching Pakistan, Fawad Khan has already issued a statement saying "My first priority is Pakistan. Hindustani logon ka dil bahut chota hai." Certainly unbecoming of an actor whose name, fame, money et all came from Indian film industry. You may keep your loyalties with your country, but you have no business to speak about Indians, in this tone. Shows your true colors !!! Such people have to be banned......they certainly do not deserve our hospitality & shelter.

Lets get our facts right in the first place. These actors have come looking for stardom & money....& we have showered them in all abundance. Each one of them have built their name & financial corpus multiple times more than they could ever have achieved in their own backyard. Sure, they are talented, sure they have a huge fan following, but almost all of that has been our benevolence showered upon them. They have become household names, because of the exposure our Country has given them. Yes, the industry is open to talent from all over, including Pakistan, but then these are different times. Why do we have to create such a hue & cry for them ??? Is there a dearth of talent within our own ??.... Just take a look at the various Talent Shows across TV Channels....such breathtaking, stupendous, exhilarating performances. Why don't we invest in breeding home grown talent ??
While our Army Commandos on the Western borders are gallantly protecting us from the dastardly incursions of the terrorists;.....decimating terror camps / launch pads in one swift surgical attack across the LoC; when the Central Govt is taking bold steps in Global Forums to blacklist Pakistan & isolate them as a terror state;.... we civilians need to unify & strengthen our forces & not belittle their efforts by trivializing matters of Sovereignty. Isolating Pakistan means isolating everything & everyone that is Pakistani. If there is anyone who can dare to speak against them & their nefarious activities, we are happy to give shelter....life & peace.... but not those people, who make merry at our expense but speak against us behind our back...or chose to silently look else where in times like these.

In fact, this ban is just one more step towards creating pressure on Pakistan & its stumbling economy. We probably need to further freeze all trade relations, revoke MFN (Most Favoured Nation) status given to Pakistan, strongly review Indus Water Treaty et all. They need to know & experience first hand, what they stand to lose, if they don't take a collective resolve to abolish terror, a menace that will eventually gnaw into their own homes. They have enjoyed & taken advantage of our patience & tolerance way too long....they have mistaken our silence as our weakness....they now need to experience our retort, & ability to retaliate.
Yes, all this is an arm twisting strategy, but then that probably is the need of the hour. Let us all unite & rise above narrow gains......its a time for us to make a resounding impact.
Make a note - in Pakistan, major cinema houses have stopped screening Indian movies to express solidarity towards their armed forces !! Time for us to take cue..... act tough.

Indians are known to be tolerant......way too tolerant, especially towards outsiders. Our traditions teach us to treat our guest with love & respect. "Atithi Devo Bhavo", a facet that has been flayed endlessly through centuries of incursions & intrusions. We have yet embraced them all & allowed them to mingle & melt within to become an integral part of our existence. Maybe, time has come for us to introspect & change our rules. Time for us to act tough & put to action an old adage in Sanskrit :

"SHATHE SATHYAM SAMACHARET" ..... in simple words, Tit for Tat....

We Can.... & We Will...rest Assured

The night was dull & dark...the faint crescent moon adding to the eerie silence, as a crack team of commandos stealthily surrounded their target - an unsuspecting terrorist camp.... a Launch Pad. As if in anticipation, the wind stood still & the forest leaves hardly rustled, while the commandos took strategic vantage positions.... & then in a clinical, precision & surgical strike, blew up the terror haven into smithereens!! The whole operation over in a blur & the commandos moved back into the dark & then safely back in their den. Absolute successful mission with minimal damage to report....... a very regular script clip from so many movies on commando operations. We've all gaped at the movie screen with baited breath as the action unfolded.
In almost a similar, albeit extremely well planned mission, Indian Army Commanders crossed over the LOC, & in the waning light of the crescent moon, cleaned up 7 such Terror Camps, better known as Launch Pads & returned home safely. There were no casualties, though a few suffered minor injuries, something that is unavoidable in such audacious cross border strikes . Launch Pads are temporary camps / shelters where terrorists assemble before any infiltration bids. Typically, at any given point, each launch pads have 15 - 20 terrorists, 4-5 guides & a few support staff huddling up to plan their nefarious activities. One swift overdrive of an action... & at least 35 - 40 terrorists across the border obliterated.

The need to "teach Pakistan a proper lesson" has been long long overdue. The capability of Indian Army to storm the western borders with clinical precision & results was never in doubt, but we chose to be tolerant.........tolerant for way too long. The diplomatic chit chats / exchange of verbal duels at Global forums / fierce arguments on TV channels was making Pakistan bolder by the day, as they continued their dastardly terror activities one after the other.
Taking advantage of the ensuing unrest in J&K, the fidayeen attacks on our army had increased over the past many months. The attack on Pathankot Air base in January & then finally in Uri, on 18th Sept was probably the last straw. Four terrorists sneaked into the Army Camp & slaughtered 17 Indian soldiers, before getting killed in the six hour gun battle that followed.

In an aftermath, our Modi Govt has not only blazed the international forums, asking for Pakistan to be isolated & declared a terrorist state, but also pulled out of the forthcoming SAARC meet in Pakistan...... a move that has been strongly supported with five other nations boycotting the meet as well. External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj tore down upon Pakistan in the UN General assembly, as the world took notice of India's offensive.
And while, Pakistan & the rest of the world thought, India would continue with dialogues in various forums, the Indian Army made the move..... a surgical strike, on a quiet, dim lit night, across the Line of Control, in the PoK ( our own territory in earnest) that would certainly send shivers down the Pakistani spine !!!

Watch out Hafeez Saeed & Syed Lakhvi & the likes !!......

However, we need to exhibit utmost caution, & be prepared for any counter attack or skirmishes. We need to unite as a Country & back our Govt to take the best possible steps in establishing peace.

A much needed offensive, for the world to sit up & acknowledge our capabilities.

Jai Hind