This refers to the editorial, “Removing the blinkers” (May 30). It is a misfortune for India that the notorious ‘argumentative Indian’ seems to have lost his sense of propriety and nationalism, and is fuelling an environment of derision and contempt against the apolitical Indian Army and the Chief of Army Staff, on the issue of the ‘human shield’ which Major Nitin leetul Gogoi had executed in an innovative effort to discourage stone-pelters in Jammu & Kashmir. In an out-of-the-box measure, Major Gogoi saved several lives. But, instead of hailing his non-combatant action, he is being condemned by the usual anti-national section of Indian liberals and their cronies in some leading national dailies.
One New Delhi daily assailed the Army Chief's defence of his Major as “wrong”, adding that Gogoi's action “could undermine the Army’s prestige”. Its contention was that even the “violation of one man's human rights” was unacceptable. The violations of human rights of thousands of security forces and other patriotic forces in Jammu & Kashmir were clearly of no concern of the guilty media and so-called liberal sections. Their duplicity is colossal, hence, you have rightly ridiculed them and applauded the Army chief's tough stand.