Abhinandan's Release

I have been living in Germany for a long time now but I'm still an Indian at heart. When I heard about the recent suicide bomber incident in Kashmir I was horrified. Some of the martyred soldiers were so young that they were only newly married. It must have been a real shock for their spouses and families as well. A major who diffusing a bomb also got killed in the incident. He had also tied the knot recently. I was in real shock after hearing such incidents. I was quite uncertain of whether any action would be taken by the Indian government about the incident against terrorism. But a few days later I woke up to the news that India had carried out air strikes over the Pakistan's territory claiming that they targeted and killed around 300 terrorists. But in the media that I read or heard confirmed no such news. Although the air strikes were carried out but they claimed that no one was killed or injured by those.

Pakistan then shot down two Indian fighter jets crossing the border line. They captured one Indian pilot Abhinandan. Now that we are waiting for his release, it gives me a real sigh to know that the prime minister Imran Khan has taken a very decisive action to release the pilot.

As a matter of fact I myself am a daughter of an Indian army official. My father had retired as a colonel several years ago from the Indian army. And I am able to relate to the feelings that Abhinandan's family must be going through as I have had experiences as well. An army official is not just a person. He is also a father of someone, son of someone, husband of someone, brother of someone. They all want him to return safely back home.

My father fought the war of India against Pakistan in 1965 (Pakistan, J&K border) and 1971(liberation of Bangladesh from Pakistan, Punjab border). Although I do not have any memories from those times as I was a young baby but my father used to tell me incidents from those times. The army men had to stay and fight also in very cold and harsh conditions. They had to carry a big backpack of around 30 kilograms on their back which included a tent, quilt, water and food and a gun up to 7 kilograms. They had to work round the clock. My father was even hit by a blister of a bomb in 1965 war and still carries the scar in his leg. He still fondly tells incidents from his workings for the Indian army.

My father at J&K border working for the Indian army

Though the relations between India and Pakistan are still sour, I highly appreciate the initiation taken by the Pakistan's prime minister towards peace. As we know that both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers, a state of war would be utterly devastating to both India and Pakistan. I also reckon the step taken by Imran Khan as novel and courageous. May both neighboring countries continue to cooperate and take steps towards the prosperity of both nations.