Appeasing Evil
Having experienced war and death up close, losing my friends to war, and after repeatedly risking my own life for my country, I speak from deeply-held personal convictions. I speak as an American who was an Indian citizen many decades ago. I speak as a former U.S. Army soldier who served in the war zones of Afghanistan and Iraq. I speak as a practicing Hindu; my faith hardened as it survived the brutal crucible of war. Finally, I speak using simple terms that make sense to laypeople like me.
I find it appalling that Prime Minister Modi ji, the highly respected leader of India, the birthplace of the Hindu dharma, has decided to turn a blind eye to Putin's unprovoked attacks on Ukraine. Not standing up to adharma as Putin's forces slaughter innocent Ukrainian civilians speaks volumes about Modi ji's misguided priorities.
On the one hand, I had volunteered to go to Afghanistan after the attacks of 9/11. On the other, I had doubts, fears, and misgivings about what would happen when I got there. At the time, I often referred to Chapter 2, verses 31-38 of my cherished copy of the Bhagavad Gita, to conquer my fears. Those verses taught me that there was nothing better for me as a soldier than to fight for upholding righteousness, and not doing so would be morally reprehensible. The brutal murder of over 3000 civilians was evil personified, and it was simply my duty to fight against it.
As this assault on Ukraine continues and hundreds, even thousands of civilians continue to die each day, Switzerland broke its historically neutral status to side with Ukraine in this conflict. Being neutral against evil is joining forces with evil. Every Hindu, anywhere in the world, must fight for and uphold good over evil, as must Modi ji, one of the most influential representatives of our Hindu dharma. If Modi ji so openly appeases the evil that Putin represents now, then when else will Modi ji choose to fight it? After it has grown even more potent with his support?
Putin uses vacuum and cluster bombs to kill unarmed civilians in Ukraine as Modi ji ignores their deaths. Putin destroys entire cities and towns, bridges, dams, residential buildings, schools, and even hospitals with his purposefully indiscriminate bombing as Modi ji sits idly on the sidelines. And hell, Putin even kills Indians in Ukraine as Modi ji remains passively accepting of their deaths. Why is Modi ji choosing to support Putin in all this death and destruction is a question we all wish answered. I do not expect Modi ji to answer the question, as I know he does not have one. However, I remain hopeful that even if Modi ji's first instinct were to turn a blind eye to evil, a collective better sense should prevail in the end. I remain optimistic that India will become a partner in the fight against evil instead of promoting it with a flaccid policy of neutrality.
