WE ARE BACK

LT COL NOEL ELLIS

20/V/2025

Having finished the garden chores, I sat down with a cup of tea to watch a few reels on my mobile. The first one was my favourite song “Hello” by Lionel Riche”. I started drifting into nostalgia.

I sailed to my childhood to those black and white nascent TV days.

Those were the good old Door Darshan (DD) days. Being in Punjab and very close to Lahore as the crow flew, we used to receive two TV stations. DD Amritsar and PTV (Pakistan Television).

We grew up watching Paki TV plays, and serials like I love Lucy, Mind your language, Disney cartoons, and the 4pm WWF. Like the opening music of DD, we got well versed with the Paki “Kaumi Tarana’ and National Anthem too.

TV stations on both sides used to function for a few hours only. Then there used to be ‘Ceasefire’, till transmission began the next day.

Two things one can never forget. On DD we used to hate to see a “takhti” or board called “Rukawat ke liye khed hai”. For an English programme, it used to read ‘INTERRUPTION’.

On the Paki side they used to take a ‘Wakfa’ or break. ‘Tab tak aap ishtehaar dekhen”, meaning please watch commercials in the interim. DD would play sad violin music as if it was in mourning.

Those days we could watch anything on DD. Even ‘Nani ke Nuske’ or ‘Krishi Darshan’ were welcome. That is the time we used to switch channels and watch PTV. Now we have choices galore.

What came to my mind was the “Break” of “Wakfa” in context of “OP Sindoor”.

PTV started much before DD and we consumed all that they dished out. From the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus to Kargil. From Pulwama to Pahalgam. Those “programmes” were heart wrenching.

In between we took ‘breaks’. Had we run our programmes of retaliating without bothering about ‘Rukawat ke liye khed hai’, half our problems would have been solved. This interruption for whatever reasons will now help the enemy to rest and recoup. We should start a better programme for them to see.

In my stint in the Kashmir valley, one thing I learnt was, one had to put relentless pressure on the militants. His parents, wife, children, maulvi, neighbours and friends had to be involved for this chap to either surrender or get killed.

The damage to that house would be ‘his’ sole responsibility as we would go all out to get this rabid person out of his rat hole. He would be directed to release all hostages if there were any to avoid collateral damage. Like we sent back all Paki nationals from here.

That was equivalent to putting political and diplomatic pressure on Pakistan. Terrorists used to be armed and cause causalities. India knows it and is well prepared. This terrorist country has to be smoked out at any cost. Sooner the better.

For that, the ‘stops’, the ‘outer and the inner cordon’ were put in place. The ‘close cordon’ would be overseeing that specific terrorist hide. Any movement would be considered that of the enemy.

We need to cordon Pakistan from all sides now. Baluchistan, Afghanistan, Sindh, and KPK need to be activated till either Pakistan gets down to its knees or perishes.

Plus, the barrel of the gun needs to be kept warm to keep causing damage to him and his ego. Intermittent fire had to be brought down on him, lest he finds an escape route. Then the heavy weapons and explosives should finish matters.

At times these terrorists wear ‘suicide vests’. Like one which Pakistan calls the ‘Nuclear Bomb’. This time we sealed the entrances to their nuclear sites. A sniper or precision guided munitions are needed to take a headshot, lest he presses that button.

There are times when a militant still manages to escape. Some of them are trained commandos acting like mercenaries. Darkness is their friend. Unlike Bilawal who doesn’t know that attacks are generally done at night. Such speeches show your ‘jahalat’.

That is the time we would go in “hot pursuit”. The village, fields, jungles, and mountains used to be combed to get him. It would be rare that terrorists could get away.

Pakistan should understand that this Wakfa has been given to repair their ‘thinking and mentality’. They need to overhaul their systems and set things right. Pakistan has been lucky this time. Things could have been much worse. We let you watch our “Ishtehaar” (advertisements) of precision bombing.

Crippling your war machinery and by regulating your water will cause mayhem in Pakistan. India can exercise that option anytime. Be thankful and get your house in order and fast.

How soon would Pak give India a chance to say “WE ARE BACK” I wonder!!!!!!