What do you think Modi is going to do in response to Pulwama terror attack?

(Courtesy: The Indian Express)

(Remember, one of the popular rhetoric of BJP during General Election 2014 was that the Congress government is weak and when they come to power, they will fight back Pakistan! That was the death of Patriotism and surge of Nationalism in India.)

In fact, with emotions soaring so high this time -- thanks to the nationalist propaganda that news channels have been feeding the country for the past 5 years -- a surgical strike against terrorists and Pakistan in response to the Pulwama terror attack seems like the ONLY way to go about from here. And anyone who disagrees with that, the media will go all guns blazing on them, pulling their favorite labels of "anti-nationalist".

(Courtesy: NDTV)

So, it's almost imminent that Narendra Modi and his party would want the Indian army to retaliate against the terrorists and Pakistan in a big way.

BUT… As the Prime Minister of a country, Narendra Modi has to take care of more than just his party. And he knows that well and beyond. His biggest responsibility at this moment isto keep the morale of the Armed forces at high and protect their lives through sensible decision making. So, he cannot go ahead and tell the Jawans to respond instantly for vengeance.

While PM Modi has said that India will give a befitting response to the terrorists, he followed that by saying that the Indian army will respond at will, whenever and however they deem it fit. So, as it stands now, the defense ministry has given the armed forces a complete autonomy that's usually a frowned-upon thing in the mainstream due to diplomatic issues.

So, how India responds to the heinous Pulwama terror attack depends on Indian armed forces. PM Modi and his government is in support of whatever they do now.

Even in that scenario, it's almost imminent that Indian side will go for a big surgical strike against terrorists and Pakistan. (Of which, we will hear a lot about it as we close General Election 2019; BJP claiming how they acted strongly, opposition fuming about how the party in power is leveraging another surgical attack for political mileage. It's been a trend as of late to bank on army's heroism to win voters and TRP.)

Through the course though, it's incredibly important that we trust the Indian forces and not push them into taking any hasty action, unprepared. Sadly, this is not what we're doing right now. Indian news channels and social media user are reluctantly pushing for "revenge" and "#Badla". And this, even with much denial from them, will certainly put pressureon the Indian army. In fact, the very latest (and ongoing) encounter happening in Pulwama might very well be the result of this same pressure, where our another 4 Jawans are martyred. The onus of their death must fall on the anchors and nationalists who are singing to the tunes of revenge for 3 days now.

(Courtesy: NDTV)

Sitting in their AC-packed newsrooms (with lavish food served on time), these people fail to realize that surgical attack isn’t that easy, heroic and romanticizing as the movie 'Uri' depicts.

Indian armed forces will respond. Let them decide how and when.

(Courtesy: Hindustan Times)

If you really support them, stop buying into the propaganda of the nationalist media outlets. If you want to support them, join the Veterans Rally that's been organized for ex-servicemen to demand pension, jobs and other solutions to their other problems. Join their rally on March 3, 2019, and show your love for the armed forces the right way. If not, your hashtags mean nothing. In that case, shut up!