Of Crimes That 'May' Have Been Done

(Written on 26th Nov)

This post is regarding an incident that took place today on the Pak-Afgab border where a NATO strike took the lives of 26 soldiers who were stationed there.

This is not the first time this has happened.

But what ticked me off enough to write about it was the statement given by the US commander in Afghanistan who sent his condolences to the families of any troops 'who MAY have been killed' in the attack.

Maybe he used that phrase because it was not known then how many had died. But, hello, what else would you expect when you are firing missiles from air? Its not exactly like rainbows and unicorns are being rained down.

I find his callous tome infuriating. And for those who who think I am exaggerating....well think again. Because some of you might have come across a similar phrase once way back in tenth grade when we were all preparing for that dreaded history O level. In 1686, the EIC went to war with Auraghzeb who was still in power. It was a battle they lost and what did they apologize for afterward? Oh, of course, all the 'ill crimes they MAY have done”

Their 'may have done' crimes included opening fire on several towns and burning down at least 500 houses.

But surprise, surprise....Aurangzeb, however, did not take any punitive action against the company and restored its trading privileges. "For a massive indemnity and promises of better conduct in the future, he [Aurangzeb] graciously agreed to the restoration of their [East India Trading Company's] trading privileges and the withdrawal of his troops".

Our government seems to have taken Auraghzeb's benevolence to heart. In September 2010, when a similar NATO strike killed 3 soldiers, Pakistan retaliated by closing the border. After 11 days, however, it was re opened after the US finally apologized.

Aurangzeb's mistake cost him a whole empire. Our government's previous mistake cost the lives of 26 men. Lets hope they did not die in vain. Lets hope that just because the US considers them dispensable (as their callous tone implies), we the people and particularly the government does not.