Rensil D'Silva: How to Make it in Bollywood Education in the Gulf ...

SOLDIERS
and care that you earned.” He
termed America’s commitment
to its veterans as sacred bonds
and a sacred trust Americans are
honour bound to uphold.
“You have done your duty -
to your fallen comrades, to your
communities, to your country.
You have always fulfilled your
responsibilities to America. And
so long as I am President of the
United States, America will
always fulfill its responsibilities
to you”, he declared.
Contrast the above pledge
and assurance with the treatment
meted out to the ex-servicemen
in India. It is apathetic to say the
least. In the recent past, India was
witness to the most unfortunate
sight of numerous military
veterans returning their medals
[Examples of Pakistan and Bangladesh are quoted to
implant fear of a military take over in the minds of a
gullible and ignorant political leadership. A systematic
and well planned strategy has been orchestrated to
downgrade the military’s standing. The Sixth Central
Pay Commission was the latest master stroke.
to the President to register their
protest against the government’s
indifference to their pleas.
Medals earned during
active service are the proudest
possession of soldiers and their
being driven to surrender them
should have made the government
sit up and take note.
But true to its wont, it
remained totally unconcerned
and unmoved. Not a single
government leader or official has
considered it necessary to talk to
the protesting veterans to resolve
the issues.
This episode will certainly go
down as a dark chapter in the history of independent India.
India won the Kargil War of 1999 at a huge cost – 527 officers and
soldiers sacrificed their lives while over 1,000 sustained battle injuries,
many getting maimed for life.
Yet a senior Congress leader Rashid Alvi had the impudence to state
that the commemoration was not warranted as the war took place due
to an intelligence failure of the BJP Government.
Every Indian soldier, both serving and retired, was aghast at the
brazenness of the logic.
A notion has been deliberately perpetuated that the military must be kept
under control through the bureaucracy lest it acquires political ambitions.
Examples of Pakistan and Bangladesh are quoted to implant
fear of a military take over in the minds of a gullible and ignorant
political leadership. A systematic and well planned strategy has been
orchestrated to downgrade the military’s standing. The Sixth Central
Pay Commission was the latest master stroke.
Although the public at large still holds the military in high esteem,
a deliberate media campaign is being orchestrated by some elements
with vested interests to show the military in a poor light.
Instead of appreciating the military for initiating prompt
disciplinary action against defaulters – handful acts of misdemeanor
and indiscretion in a 1.3 million strong organisation – such cases are
sensationalised to paint a negative
picture of the services.
Historically, India does not have
a culture of valuing its military.
That is the reason that every
invader succeeded in defeating and
enslaving the sub-continent.
If India survives today despite
inept political leadership and the
self-serving bureaucracy, it is only
due to the unquestioned loyalty of the military and enormous sacrifices
made by the soldiers.
Denigration of the military always proves fatal in the long run. Any
country that discredits the status of its soldiers loses the moral right to
expect them to die for its security.
Great nations are distinguished by the esteem in which they hold
their military. No nation that stubbornly declines to honour the martyrs,
respect the soldiers and care for the veterans can ever aspire to be
counted amongst the great nations, slogans like ‘Mera Bharat Mahan’
not withstanding.
Major General Mrinal Suman, AVSM, VSM, PhD Head, Evoss Group
Project Director, Defence Technical Assessment and Advisory
Services Group (Confederation of Indian Industry)
Director, Defence Acquisition Management Training
(Confederation of Indian Industry)
Editorial Consultant, Indian Defence Review
MY CELEBRITY ENCOUNTER
by: Peter Souri Raj
I
can still remember it as if
it were yesterday. Madras
Airport VIP lounge. H. E.
Mahatir Mohamed, the then
hon’ble Prime Minister of
Malaysia was stopping over for
some Masala Dosas. The great
MGR, Chief Minister of Tamil
Nadu at the time, was therefore
his host. I was working at
Welcomgroup Chola Sheraton
and since CM saar used to
entrust us with all his big do’s,
my team & I were waiting,
lavish buffet et al, ready and
every last detail checked and
rechecked. Munuswamy,
Chola’s specialist Masala D
maker was getting ready to strut
his stuff - after all, it’s not every
day that a PM stops off for your
dosas! Also in attendance were
a gaggle of CID types, cops,
airport workers, etc. Like good
Maddus they were not going
to miss out on the action. And
hopefully latch on to the odd dosa
or two.
The flight landed, hon’ble PM
was escorted into VIP L, plates
handed out, and loaded up. Soon
there was PM with filled plate.
Waiting. There was CM with filled
plate. Waiting. There were assorted
consulate, government bigwigs
and flunkies with plates filled.
Waiting. There was I, nothing in
hand, waiting. Someone hissed
th
16
Masala Dosas
for Mahatir
When H. E. Mahatir Mohamed, then hon’ble Prime Minister
ANNI V ERSARY
of Malaysia stopped in Chennai for Masala Dosas with MGR.
“Masala Dosas” and suddenly it dawned on me that the Masala D’s hadn’t
made an appearance. And since Masala D’s were what the hon’ble PM had
specifically asked for, he wasn’t going to lift a prong till he got one.
I tried to suggest that the dosas were being freshly prepared and that
they would be out any minute but old MM would have none of it. CM
saar gently suggested I go and speed them up and I took off like a flash.
I charged out to the back to see what the hold up was and almost had a
heart attack. There was Munuswamy,
sweating from every pore, unable to
coax a halfway decent dosa - they
were all sticking fast to the pan. The
interested crowd of onlookers - good
Maddus to whom Masala D’s were
like mother’s milk - all had opinions
on what Munuswamy was doing
wrong. “Use an onion” one shouted;
“Don’t”, shouted another, the dosa
kall is too hot. “It’s the batter that’s
too thin,” said yet another. And on
and on it went. Munuswamy, who
had long since stopped preening,
was now a nervous wreck and
couldn’t have turned out a decent
dosa even if his life depended on it.
I charged back into the VIP
Lounge. Made some feeble excuses, tried to coax them to eat, but no
luck. Charged back out, charged back in. Still no dosas. And just when I
had given up all hope, and was thinking up some even feebler excuses,
they were suddenly there, (the dosas, stupid, not the excuses). That
whole circus must have lasted about 15 minutes but it seemed like
forever. But before you could say “Masala Dosa”, the hon’ble PM and
CM were tucking in with gusto. In case you are wondering how and
what or who saved the day - Bhoja, our super cool banquet captain had
just toodled over to the adjacent airport canteen, picked up half a dozen
dosas and saved everyone’s whatever. Masala Dosas anyone?
Peter Souri Raj has frequently hobnobbed with celebrities during
his long stint in the hotel industry. TII will feature some of his
memorable encounters in this new series.
86
The International Indian
The International Indian 87