open letter Opinion Indian army Defence Military BSF Jawan Tez Bahadur Yadav Army

BSF Jawan Tez Bahadur Yadav: This Is What's Going To Happen To You After Your Viral Video

( words)
*For representational purpose only.

Good morning sir, 
I am sure you must be experiencing mixed emotions this morning. You must be wondering how a simple video appeal where you are seen highlighting the dark secrets of the Indian army got so famous in a day. The video where you're showing the poor quality of food the jawans have to eat during their duty in some of the most inhuman weather conditions.

Firstly, I salute the determination with which you guys still work under such extreme conditions. But I pity your condition. I almost ridicule it. Because I am a hypocrite. I am an Indian. I am an Indian hypocrite. 

Today, in this 21st century while we are madly following the standards and infrastructure established in the west, one thing that we should have followed but are dearly missing is the openness to receive criticism. I'm not talking about the Kejriwal-ian idea of criticism where Modi is responsible for everything — from corruption to constipation! May be it is here where our flaws breed — in differentiating between a true critic and a cry baby!

But, a critic is often misunderstood for a cry baby by men in higher authorities. So, you will either be expelled from the army by some men in power too blind to appreciate their flaws or you will be totally disregarded and labelled a 'lunatic' by the people you're willing to die for.

And we're not sorry, sir. Mind you. We are a nation of proud hypocrites. We are inert. We are corrupt because we are vulnerable. We are vulnerable because we are corrupt.

I request you to allow me to predict what will happen to you after your video's gone viral:

1. You will get a severe bashing from your seniors.
2. You will be labelled a 'lunatic'.
3. You will be transferred to a place where there is no Internet coverage and your voice will be subdued.
4. At best there will be a 'surprise' (pre-planned) inspection and the authorities will make sure that at the time of this inspection, everything is in place and in perfect order.
5. You will be alienated by some of your own men who will not want to associate themselves with you because their job security matters to them and that is justified too.
6. You will be made an example of and the authorities will make sure that nobody will become another Tez Bahadur Yadav.
7. The viral video will be forgotten over the course of next few weeks or will be taken down or you will be forced to take it down citing that your video could potentially be a risk to India's security.

And you will once again become just another nobody.

But to me you matter. You matter to not just India but to humanity. Because you are an unreasonable man.

As George Bernard Shaw said,

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man."

Here's ending it with a hope that your step will help improve things for other Indian soldiers in the future. I know it is a very utopian wish but nothing ever moves until it is pushed. You have given it a push. You have done your bit. Be proud.

"The world suffers a lot. Not because the violence of bad people. But because of the silence of the good people." ~ Napoléon Bonaparte

With a lot of respect,
Devashish Palkar — Just another Nobody (trying to question the system) 

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