Winners and Losers

 

There is a war going on in distant Ukraine which is fought by conventional weapons. One side termed as an aggressor is taking on a challenger who was backed by other Nations. The other Nations are showing restrain or are unwilling to get involved in a full-blown crisis with nuclear implications. While there seems to be destruction and deaths on both sides’ real winners are yet to emerge. Effects of war are visible and losers are public on the streets of Ukraine and Russia. Some coffers are getting filled with the war efforts on both sides. The winners remain anonymous. There is a war going on the biological front for the last two years since the days when we first went into lockdown thanks to a Virus with dubious origins.  We lost near ones. We suffered economic hardships thanks to lockdowns. But again some winners were winning trade wars. Some were winning on tech consolidation. Some coffers were getting filled somewhere. Winners remained anonymous. There were elections in five states. Four states were won by the incumbents while one state was one by the newbie party with no clear visible agenda. Only time will tell if the path this state has chosen will resolve or aggravate the problems. Hope this turns out really beneficial for the people of Punjab. In the case of the other four states including UP, there is an alignment with a central plan. But then again this path again may be filled with potholes and sudden speed breakers due to idiosyncrasies of politics which have led to compromises on the path of reforms. We have seen the reforms in agriculture withdrawn due to electoral politics. The winners in these elections seem to be still visible but losers were rightfully shown the door by this dance of democracy. One trend here is very clear: the impact of youth and women voters. Their choice really made an impact across fault lines of caste and religion.  The war of words between left and right is fought daily and relentlessly on the social media front with no clear winner but losers are the ones who lose friends over these wars of words.    

The film titled The Kashmir Files has created a great impact. The plight of Kashmiri Pandits and the blackout of this chapter in the Indian Collective conscience were really numbing. The whole ecosystem of governance, media, and intelligentsia in cohorts with separatists and outside forces had won the info war till the release of this film. This film has really changed the way we look at the plight of India since external aggressors from central Asia or Europe started attacking, plundering, and ruling India for around a thousand years. It is not polarizing and a propaganda film as mentioned by critics of this movie. Saner voices within the democratic society should acknowledge the real elephant in the room. Then only it will be possible to even plan the reforms in the intolerant doctrines which give no right for divergent religious beliefs to coexist. These reforms would create equality and justice and allow everyone to coexist. This movie really highlights how these religious expansion doctrines make people suffer and this is not a chapter we would like to emulate. But this is not enough. We need to educate our second generations who unknowingly have formed opinions against the Indian state in the Kashmir context especially here in the western world of media and academics. The complete silence of the real issues and history in the western media has left many in the west with wrong opinions about these issues. We need to win more battles there.  Another film titled Pawankhind is making waves in Maharashtrian circles in the US. This Marathi film is based on a historical battle fought by the Maratha army led by Shivaji Maharaj at the Pawankhind near Kolhapur against the Adilshahi army.  Imagine the sacrifice of Fighters like Bajiprabhu Deshpande who along with very few soldiers blocked the large army in pursuit to capture Chatrapati Shivaji who escaped from fort Panhala which was besieged by the same Adilshahi army. There was a red herring provided for the army in pursuit by the supreme sacrifice of Shiva Kashid who resembled Shivaji Maharaj. Imagine you voluntarily take up impersonation to be captured and killed. Our Indian army officers fighting for a cause versus terrorist and disguised Pak army have given supreme sacrifices during the last 32 years after that black night in Kashmir.     

Wars are also fought in courts where simple issue pertaining to the rule of uniform has been twisted with wrongful religious identity. But court decisions have also been criticized by the losing side.  The   Maharashtra Government fights its daily war to remain relevant as a rule of the coalition, having gone against the public mandate. There was a cricket series fought versus Sri Lanka. Indian team seems to have found mojo with Rohit at the helm but his real challenge is to make it to WTC and win T20 WC.  There is a women’s world cup and amidst all this and Team India has an uphill task to qualify for semis. And as summer approaches in India, there will be IPL played.   

We the common people fight our daily war of survival and fight different battles we have chosen in our life path. What are the qualities that help us win our battles? When you read famous philosophical quotes which define winners and their qualities which differentiates them from the losers you find few common traits. Winners are willing to go longer, work harder, and give more than anyone else. Winners don’t wait for chances, they take them.  Winners are those that convert problems into opportunities. Winners are not people who never fail, but people who never quit. Winners focus on winning. Losers focus on winners.  Losers live in the past. Winners learn from the past and enjoy working in the present toward the future.  Wishing you all the best for winning your wars.