Thirsty

Wing Commander Namansh Syal was known for his discipline and excellent service record. His wife is also an Air Force officer. They have a five-year-old daughter. Imagine how happy they must have been when he was selected to represent India at the Dubai Expo, where countries send their best pilots. Their daughter must have been bubbling with excitement, reminding him to bring her something from Dubai. He would have planned a little sightseeing, a little shopping, and a lot of memories to bring home after the expo. His parents, his father also a veteran, were at his house in Hyderabad to see him after he came back from Dubai. And then, in a few unforgiving seconds, everything ended. The country will mourn for a few days, offer condolences, and move on to the next headline. But for his family, the pain is permanent. Their world has shifted irreversibly. Their lives will never be what they were a moment before that crash. For every uniform we salute, there is a family that silently carries the cost of that courage. Their strength is the unseen backbone of our nation’s defence.

It was responsibility of both the govt and the BCCI to ensure India does not play Pakistan in Asia Cup. They failed. Now the choice is yours: either shrug it off with “if they don’t care, why should I” and watch, or refuse to watch and make a statement. I hope you choose the latter. Don’t watch, neither on TV, nor online, nor through apps. Don’t even engage when cricket accounts post live scores or hype the match as it gets “interesting.” Refusing to engage is a small act for each of us, but together it becomes a powerful statement that neither the govt nor the BCCI can ignore. Let silence be the rebellion.