Social Media is a space with several benefits. It was democratised dialogue and ended the hegemony of the Lutyens elite who thought they could exercise on a monopoly on what the country chooses to discuss. However, there is a flipside. Often the erstwhile ‘veteran journalists’ who have now been exposed to be empty propaganda machines denigrate the ones who don’t agree with their worldview, however, skewed it might be. Today, Sagarika Ghose, the erstwhile ‘respected journalist’ chose to go on a ranting spree and abuse a highly decorated officer of the territorial army, Major Navdeep Singh.
It all started when the Leftist propaganda website The Wire carried an asinine excerpt from Sagarika Ghose’s equally asinine book ‘Why I am a Liberal’.
Why the liberal patriot who works for peace loves her country more than those wanting to send the sons of the poor to the front lines to satisfy their own elite bloodlust. Thanks @thewire_in for publishing this extract from my book #WhyIAmALiberal. @PenguinIndia https://t.co/cPaAvWO2lQ
— Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) 26 July 2019
Sagarika Ghose plugged The Wire tweet with her own narration. She implied that she was a “liberal patriot” who works for “peace” and hence loves her country more than those wanting to send “sons of the poor” to the front lines to “satisfy their own elite bloodlust”.
Several people took strong offence to the implication of what Sagarika Ghose was saying. Firstly, the fact that only the poor join the army. Then, the fact that the Indian Army fighting a war is the result of the rich and elite’s “bloodlust”. Thirdly, the assumption that peaceniks like her who would rather praise a terrorist nation like Pakistan are far more patriotic than the ones who seek retribution.
One of the people who raised a strong objection to Sagarika Ghose was Major Navdeep Singh. Major Navdeep Singh is one of the most decorated volunteers in the history of the Indian Territorial Army. A lawyer by profession, Major Navdeep Singh has basically signed up to go to war for the Nation when the country needs him.
Major Navdeep Singh made an astute comment. He said that he considers himself a ‘liberal’ and also stands for peace. However, men and women in uniform are not “sons of poor”. The Indian Army is not a militia satiating a tinpot leadership’s bloodlust but an ethical military working under a constitutional democracy to protect the people of India.
I consider myself liberal. I also stand for peace. However women & men in uniform are not “sons of poor”, we’re not a militia satiating a tinpot leadership’s bloodlust. We’re an ethical military working under a constitutional democracy to protect citizenryhttps://t.co/dX6jDrXWrR
— Navdeep Singh (@SinghNavdeep) 27 July 2019
Sagarika Ghose, of course, assumed that she knows far more than the man who trains with the Indian Army every year and has pledged to fight for his country when the need arises.
She countered Maj Navdeep Singh by saying that most of the infantry that fights at the border at the behest of politicians who sit in air-conditioned rooms are ‘sons of the poor’. Maj Navdeep, however, said that the logic is flawed since going by it, all government employees at the lower rungs of the official ladder and even private sector are from ‘poor families’. And hence, there was no point singling out the military alone.
If that’s the logic then all govt employees at lower rungs of the official ladder, and even in private sector, are from “poor” families. Why point out the military?
— Navdeep Singh (@SinghNavdeep) 27 July 2019
In a rather shocking tweet, Sagarika Ghose resorted to calling Major Navdeep Singh an ‘idiot’ while arguing about military matters and wars.
Because my article ( book extract actually) is about war, warmongers and the human toll war takes. Soldiers fight wars, right? Not office clerks ? Are you some sort of idiot ? Or just posing as one to get my attention ?
— Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) 27 July 2019
Continuing to be the thorough gentleman the Major Navdeep Singh is famed to be, he took strong exception to the language used by Sagarika Ghose and asserted that he should not have engaged with her in the first place.
Strongly detest and object your language, look at my tweet to you and look at your reply. And seeking your attention? Seriously? I now feel I should not have reacted to your drivel this morning. Goodbye.https://t.co/KKIWpqeMGZ
— Navdeep Singh (@SinghNavdeep) 27 July 2019
While Sagarika Ghose’s drivel ended here, it is pertinent to note that Sagarika Ghose was arguing with a man who has pledged to put his life on the line in the event of war, about war.
Major Navdeep Singh has won several commendations from the Indian Army.
- GOC-in-C’s Commendation: 2004 (event unknown)
- Chief of the Army Staff’s Commendation (On Independence Day 2005)
- GOC-in-C’s Commendation (Also on Independence Day 2005)
- AOC-in-C’s Commendation by Air Force (Republic Day 2006)
- GOC-in-C’s Commendation (Republic Day 2007)
- Chief of the Army Staff’s Commendation (Army Day 2008)
- Seventh Decoration (Date and nature unknown)
- Chief of the Army Staff’s Commendation (Army Day 2010)
While the only achievement to Sagarika Ghose’s name is that she has successfully spread here propaganda for decades aided to a position by her powerful father. War is often considered a necessity to keep the peace. Besides, India has lived under the delusion of peace while soldiers have laid their lives down in Kashmir and on the border at the hands of Pakistan sponsored terrorists.
While win-sipping elites like Sagarika Ghose peddle their ‘peace-agenda’ while living in the safety of her home, soldiers have laid their lives down fighting a terrorist army and a terrorist country. It is certainly easy to pend down lofty platitudes while demanding peace, however, freedom and peace are free because someone else has already paid the price of that freedom with his blood.
