Story of a friend and inspiring person: Yoga teacher

Sometimes you meet some unusual people at unusual places and they mostly turn out to be very cool ones. In my life I have got very few people whom I can actually call as friends as I found them like needle in the haystack. This post is about a friend, a teacher and a person with many inspiring thoughts. In the era of stereotyping, it's often the case when a person can not be understood well because of the pre built images. When we hear the word Yoga teacher, image of a calm, silent and a person with always mature behaviour comes into mind. So when I first communicated with my yoga teacher first time, even I started to talk with such thoughts, after couple of conversations, that stereotype image has been broken (happily). The teacher is indeed very vibrant person, she has wide range of thoughts, can dance freely on any music, have great sense of bhakti and a critical thinker as well, has modern Indian outlook towards life and yet very grounded and yeah sometimes act like a teenager as well. So why the post? In recent times we have seen that voices are raised to see women beyond their physical appearances, to respect them for what they do and to be a person with whom they feel safe and can talk freely. The Yoga Teacher has inspired me on many such things. 

First thing I have learnt is to not to do stereotyping, understand the person, their outlooks and their thoughts, that's how you can see their different shades, sense of humour, discussions on wide range of topics can only happen in free, non judgemental environment only, so instead of labelling someone with typical identity, just give them the space to express themselves. 

Second thing I have learnt is something which is need of an hour as well, it's about not to see the length of clothes but to see how the person carries it, vulgarity can be seen in full clothes and in the eyes of those who have no shame so rather than judging someone based on their choice of clothes, let's understand them as individuals and keep focused on own's business. 

Third and important point, it's useless to try to understand the mood swings of a female, so just be calm, don't argue much and let them command the dialogue in such situation, that will help many, trust me. 

All my readers, females do share how much difficulty you still find in expressing yourselves, and males, what's your level of understanding that women are much more than just a point of physical attraction? What stops you to enjoy their great sense of humour and their experiences rather than just staring at their physical appearance?

25 years of Kargil war: Have we changed?

As we commemorate the 25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas, it's essential to celebrate the valor of our soldiers, but equally important to confront the uncomfortable questions that have been swept under the carpet. What was our intelligence apparatus doing back then? How did such a large-scale enemy movement go unnoticed? These are questions that remain unanswered, and no one has been held accountable. Now that it's part of history, the focus should be on whether we've improved in terms of weapons, strategy, and leadership.

1. Weapons

While the current political leadership has pushed hard for indigenous defense manufacturing under "Make in India," challenges persist. There seems to be a lack of coordination between the armed forces and manufacturing agencies. In drone technology, we lag behind even smaller nations. We still don’t have an indigenous engine for fighter jets, affecting the delivery schedule of the Tejas Mk 1A due to dependency on GE engines. The declining strength of the Air Force remains a pressing concern.

The root issue lies in bureaucratic red tape and the forces' occasional preference for average imports from the West. The solution? Greater involvement of private players who operate with a performance-driven mindset and can speed up production timelines. Additionally, we need to promote a robust R&D culture right from the school level to create a generation of technical experts.

2. Strategy

The appointment of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) to streamline theater command operations is a commendable step. We hope to see this transformation become a reality soon.

Beyond structural changes, employing covert tactics, such as anonymous strikes and leveraging ethnic unrest in enemy territories, seems effective. However, one concern remains—how the forces handle Over Ground Workers (OGWs) in sensitive regions. Officers like Major Gogoi and Col Acharya, who took bold steps to create deterrence, should be lauded rather than punished. A strong, decisive approach is necessary to neutralize threats before they escalate.

3. Leadership Approach

The current leadership deserves credit for authorizing surgical and airstrikes. However, after 2019, major terror attacks have not been met with similar decisive responses. There seems to be a shift toward a "Gandhian" approach across political leadership, making India reactive rather than proactive.

Given our knowledge of Pakistani military-backed terror launchpads, why do we wait for infiltration instead of preemptively striking? With advanced weapons like Apache helicopters, BrahMos missiles, and Rafale jets, what holds us back? Every soldier lost fighting terrorists is a tragic loss for the nation. It's time to abandon traditional, defensive measures and adopt an aggressive stance.

We must remember that India is a land of warriors. From Shri Ram's journey to Lanka to vanquish Ravan, Shri Krishna's justice after enduring a hundred insults, and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's dream of Hindavi Swaraj to Raj Raja Chola's maritime expansion, our history is filled with examples of righteous warfare. Our ancestors fought for Dharma, and so should we when the need arises. False narratives of passive non-violence must be set aside.

A Tribute to Our Brave Soldiers

I bow in reverence to the brave soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice, ensuring our territory remained intact. To the families who continue to wait for their loved ones who never returned, the nation remains forever indebted. If a war is ever fought again, may it be on enemy soil, not ours.

Jai Hind!