Let the (air) force be with you

There were two streams of thought in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror. The first was on the bravery of the IAF pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who landed in PoK after his Mig-21 Bison was shot down in combat after he took on an F-16 and destroyed it. The second was that war is the least desirable thing in the world, no matter how difficult Pakistan makes it for India with its policy of sponsoring terrorism and then pretending they were non-State actors over whom it has no control.

The duplicity of Pakistan is there for all to see. Even so, there are more pacifists per square mile in India who wish to lead a peaceful life. That may be a paradoxical position given the type of regional geopolitics with two bristling neighbours in the west and north of the country. The tensions across the border may not go away soon. Curiously, the ones facing the most criticism are the TV anchors who seem to wish to whip up passions as far as possible with their presentation.

The pride of all Indians is the country’s armed forces. That much was clear as Tweeple commented on the events in their own style in the brevity that is compulsory on twitter. Friction was palpable as arguments raged with the patriots clear in their vision that we must protect our country at any cost while others said — Say no to war!

Shashi Tharoor @ShashiTharoor
Every Indian is proud of our armed forces. We must resist any attempt to drag us into political quarrels on this. Country always comes before party. The unseemly gloating of some crediting one party or leader is ahistorical&unwise.Neither Congress nor BJP fight wars - India does.

sushmita sen @thesushmitasen
We are all praying for the safe return of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman #IAF gratitude from the daughter of a retired Indian Airforce officer @fbhutto for choosing humanity first & a way to peace Dugga Dugga & God bless

Arun Venugopal @scarletrun
Appalled at the war-mongerers in our midst, especially on social media and the television media. If you so badly want to taste blood, sign up for the armed forces. I don't want my sisters and brothers in the armed forces dying just because of your clueless rants #SayNoToWar

Ashish Joshi@acjoshi
"A man dies when he refuses to stand up for that which is right. A man dies when he refuses to stand up for justice. A man dies when he refuses to take a stand for that which is true." ---- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Anand Ranganathan @ARanganathan72
Every war is a just war for those upon whom it has been thrust. To be a conscientious objector when attacked by pure evil is immoral; adharma. Germans could have been conscientious objectors but not the British. Pakistanis can be conscientious objectors but not Indians. Never.

Ishita Yadav@IshitaYadav
As a citizen, I feel SO proud of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, today, while simultaneously feeling so ashamed of Twitter idiots who think war is a joke that won't affect them because they're not in the armed forces/don't live in Kashmir

Shekhar Kapur @shekharkapur
It's really important not to fan the flames of war rhetoric. It's not a game. U r not facing bullets or bombs. U r not the family praying and hoping fervently that your husbands brothers or fathers are safe. Nor living in border areas in fear. It's easy to be armachair soldiers

Ananya Sengupta @Ananya Sengupta9
Wing Commander Abhinandan, Indians are looking forward to welcome you back with pride. We are all so very relieved. I hope the animosity ends with your return. #Abhinandan MyHero

Ranganathan Madhavan @ActorMadhavan
It’s a war against terror not between 2 nations yet. Dear Media --you can actually stop this escalation .. please let's be responsible and work towards peace

Hrithik Roshan @iHrithik
Such courage, dignity , honor and grace under pressure. My thoughts are with you #WingCommanderAbhinandan #respect

Pankaj Mantri @Pankaj_Mantri
Our Hero #Abhinandan is coming home tomorrow... Welcome #AbhinandanMyHero @ImranKhanPTI announced in their parliament...

Ranveer Singh @RanveerOfficial
Braveheart Wing Commander Abhinandan. India is with you

Pankhuri Pathak @pankhuripathak
It is a victory for all peace loving Individuals in India & Pakistan . We will remember this gesture @ImranKhanPTI . We also expect you will take a tough stand on terror outfits targeting India . #AbhinandanMyHero the nation is eagerly waiting for you !

Shikhar Aggarwal @Shiki_Aggarwal
One of those rare days when you feel good about your otherwise nagging neighbour. Lots of Abhinandan to Wing Commander Varthaman's family, his story could be the start of a shift in how the two nations go ahead.

SB@semubhatt
Unfortunate reel meets real: IAF Wg Cdr Abhinandan's father, Air Marshall (retd) S Varthaman was a consultant for Mani Ratnam's 2017 film Kaatru Veliyidai. In film, hero plays an IAF pilot, who is captured by the Pakistani Army during the 1999 Kargil War

Roshani@IndiaBhakt1
Absolutely fantastic. 1.3 billion prayers have finally been answered. The nation waits to welcome our Hero Wing Commander Abhinandan Sir. Jai Hind