Sunday Guardian: Defeating the monster without becoming a monster

Originally published in the The Sunday Guardian.

After the terror attack in Pahalgam and the retaliatory action by India, the region is now standing at the precipice of war. Public opinion is getting more jingoistic, and the brute spectre of war stares us in the face. With the growing tension across the border and the media’s obsession with inflammatory rhetoric, it is important that we pause for a while and ask: do we honestly understand the character and scope of war? Though war may sometimes be inevitable, it should not be driven by revenge or momentary outrage. In spiritual terms, war is not necessarily forbidden. But like all right action, right war must arise from wisdom and discretion, not impulse or populist sentiment. A nation’s real strength lies in its ability to choose foresight over vanity and informed judgment over impulse. Strategic retaliation must serve a higher purpose. We are seeing today a dangerous trend where complicated geopolitical reality is reduced to buzzwords and spectacle. Aggression, even when justified, must be driven by principle, not performance. It is necessary to remember that war is a necessary evil, and must always be avoided from being celebrated, as is often done on TV channels. Even when waged with legitimacy, war still bears a solemn and agonizing responsibility.

Dharma, Not Ego A most edifying clarification on war comes from the Bhagavad Gita. Arjuna was reluctant to fight, but Shri Krishna implores him to engage in combat for the right cause. When all else has failed, a person can take up arms in pursuit of Dharma, but with clarity, detachment, and modesty. Arjuna was summoned into battle not in the interest of prestige or clan honor, but as a reluctant warrior being persuaded towards the truth. No action is inherently noble or vile; the intent behind it is what counts. A war rooted in hatred begets destruction and more wars. But a stand taken in defense of justice, without retributive impulses, may fulfill a higher purpose.