Fog of war

In the issue of Sunday Times on August 21, 2011, a special report titled “War & Grief” eulogizing a Pakistan Air Force pilot, who knowingly shot down a Indian civilian aircraft well within Indian Territory, for his letter of condolence written to the daughter of the pilot of the unarmed aircraft (not part of war) is in the least hypocritical and downright sensationalism.

The act as from Shoban Saxena’s narration can not be termed as anything but murder of innocents in cold blood. The following points stand out.

“Then Hussain spotted the ‘target’. Flying extremely close to it, Husain read the plane’s markings and the number starting with VT ………”

1. The Pakistani pilot made passes close enough to see the marking of the civilian aircraft, which he would (should) have reported as such.

2.    The Indian civilian aircraft put out the white flag and sought mercy, by waggling its wings.  This was not reported before shooting. Why not?

These two points clearly indicate that there was no fog of war when the incidence took place – for the IAF for some inexplicable reason was absent from the scene. Now, after forty odd years the Indian media is going to town with a condolence message from the killer pilot – a condolence message and not even an apology. How does this message help anything anyway?

When a mistake is made by the security forces in the valley in a genuine situation akin to the fog of war, the media in a partisan way looking for public sympathy to enhance its own viewer ship / readership skins the soldier of the Nation mercilessly. What a pity for our  democracy and freedom!