"Shaurya”

Yes, you guys guessed it right. My article is indeed inspired by the Bollywood movie “Shaurya”, but it is more than a meaningless banter after watching a movie. So, the movie Shaurya, inspired by “A few good Men”, has Brigadier Pratap as the protagonist. Enacted by Kay Kay Menon, the Brigadier is a tall, lean, handsome officer, having an illustrious career. He has rich experience in counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations and is venerated by his subordinates and respected by colleagues.

Brigadier Pratap is a connoisseur of whiskey, has a rich taste of almost everything and reflects the persona of a very fine senior army officer. He is a keen golfer and despises the “bloody” enemy. But Pratap lacked the most important aspect of being an officer, the “moral courage”. The movie unfolds with the court-martial proceedings of Captain Javed Khan who has been accused of murdering his senior. The enigmatic personality of Javed alludes to a larger conspiracy which his defense lawyer initially fails to understand because of his casual, uninterested attitude, a demeanor rarely found in army officers. As it generally happens in Bollywood movies and always happens in real life, the truth prevails. 

The Indian Army is a 1.3 million force, armed with deadliest tanks, artillery guns, and missiles, has fought three major wars and a large scale battle with its neighbors, and is continuously involved in turbulent operations, thanks to the efficient handling of affairs by our politicians. It is one of the mightiest forces of the world. Yet, army personnel is recognized as a savior and not as a slayer. Be it the disaster relief operations or a child trapped in a borewell, army helps everyone rising above personal issues, if any, with no regard to the religion, caste, or creed of the victims. 

The citizens of India reciprocate the selfless service of the army by love and respect. But this age of social media, powered by the deep penetration of cheap internet and malaise of some political forces, has made spreading misinformation and hatred very, very easy. I say so because one day I found a junior, who is an army aspirant, had proudly shared a video of the movie “Shaurya” in which Brigadier Pratap justified the action of one of the character by terming it as collateral damage and by commending his farz. He is of the opinion that extreme steps are required to be taken even if they involve the murder of harmless citizens. An army officer, right from the day he steps into the academy, is taught to become a gentleman, respect the laws and rise above any selfless motives. This is his or her farz toward the country, its people and humanity. But the love toward a fringe character amongst the youth appalled me. Our soldiers face bullets in operation so that they are able to prevent any civilian causality, but disregarding every sacrifice, some of our youngsters are inspired from none other than Brigadier Pratap. 

The ‘shaurya’ of our forces has never been in killing; rather it has been in saving. Our men in uniform have used force when only absolutely necessary to save a life or safeguard the territorial integrity of the nation. The ‘shaurya’ of our forces lie in the core of their hearts like it was in Capt Javed’s heart, which gave him the courage to stand with the ethos of his organization and follow the rules. The dialogue “Javed Khan ki insaniyat me Indian army ka shaurya hai” (the courage of the Indian army is in the humanity of Javed Khan) sums it up for us. This esteemed organization and its men and women have been providing selfless service to the nation, rising above any personal differences. This organization produces heroes on a daily basis, who sacrifice themselves for us the people. If there is anything one wants to emulate, it is the spirit of sacrificing oneself, rendering selfless service, and definitely not the urge to kill people on the name of collateral damage. 

“Shaurya” or valor is much more than having muscular strength, numerical superiority, or sophisticated weapons. It is the rapid throbbing of heart when you see something wrong being done, the feeling of uneasiness when someone is wronged, or the angst when the oppressor uses his force against a weak. It is the voice that you raise to defy oppression, the shield that you become to protect a weak, and the selfless act you perform to help someone in need. Shaurya, my friends, lies deep inside and is beyond any physical possession.

Inequality in Asia

Asia is the home to the majority of the human population and varies extensively across and within its regions in terms of ethnicity, cultures, environments, economics, climates, historical ties and forms of governments. Despite being the fastest growing region in the world, Asia has become a region of extremes, having huge wealth gap between rich and poor.

China’s Gini coefficient has risen more steeply over the last decade than in any other country. The richest man in Vietnam earns more in a day than the poorest earns in a decade. 10% of Indians own 80% of the country’s wealth. These startling facts allude to the bludgeoning issue of inequality in Asia.  Income inequality is associated with other facets of development and impacts the access to healthcare, education and other basic amenities such as drinking water and non-hazardous fuel.

Asia’s policymakers are not oblivious of the impacts of the rising inequality and are placing inclusive growth at the core of their policies. The paradox that elements such as technological progression and market reforms that have fueled the development, have also caused the loss in jobs and unequal opportunities for the poor makes the problem even more complex. Recent ESCAP analysis provides insights into the problem and makes certain recommendations to address it.

Fiscal policies have a very important role to play. The budget allocation to healthcare services, free education, and mitigation of the impacts of environmental degradation need to be enhanced to build human capacities and resilience. The management of fiscal space is a complex phenomenon, particularly in developing countries where factors such as corruption, procedural delays, and politics severely affect the policies.

The rural and urban divide needs to be addressed. The rural population needs to be given access to the latest technology and better infrastructure so that the opportunities increase and are exploited as well. The countries should endeavour to formulate sustainable policies and also have a quantifiable prediction of the outcome of the policies in long term. The ageing population has introduced a serious challenge and alludes toward a serious thought to the population control measures.

The trade between different nations should be used as a balancer and not just a tool to meet strategic interests.  A well-balanced growth among industry, services, and agriculture are a must for inclusive growth. To have a sustained growth with a high rate, Asia needs to provide equal opportunities to every segment of people and address the problem of inequality.