The general was a poetic man but he wasn't feeling particularly rhapsodic now. Although the Kargil operations were petering out, he knew that the battle was just about to begin. A deep sigh broke through his frame as he looked at the little flags dotting a map of India etched on the table - territories that he still had to conquer. It reminded him of the Kurukshetra yuddh. He was required to be Arjuna, but he had to confess to himself that sometimes he felt more like Bhishmapita on his bed of arrows. He sighed again and signalled his adjutant to summon the War Council. One by one the member of the Council entered, clicking their heels and saluting smartly.General A.B. Vajpayee: Good morning, officers, as you know this council has been convened to discuss the strategies for the coming month-long battle, which commences on September 4. I want suggestions as to what they must be. As you know the Enemy has been deploying Stingers in the form of questions about our competence in protecting ourborders. How do we neutralise their attack? Yes, Brigadier, you may begin the deliberations.Brigadier L.K. Advani: Sir, these terrorists deserve no quarter especially as they have a foreigner to lead the charge. I would suggest hot pursuit as the only course of action, Sir. We must pursue them on land, on sea, and over the airwaves. If we have to breach the Line of Control in the process, so be it. The enemy is, if I may say so Sir, already frustrated by our magnificent gains and will resort to desperate means to establish control over our Motherland. We will not allow it to happen. I see this as a challenge and an opportunity.(Everyone in the room was impressed and nodded their heads vigorously.)Major J. Singh (Sandhurst-trained, he tended to speak in Capital Letters): Sir, in Keeping with with Our Long Association with the Magnificent Traditions of the Great Indian Army, May I say, Sir, that this requires Readiness of a Very High Order. As I told Strobe Talbott the Other Day, Sir, Our Army is theFinest in the World, the Finest, always in a State of Battle-readiness. It is both a Striking and an Expeditionary Force, the Finest in the World. And, May I say, Sir, that even Strobe Agreed with Me.Colonel B. Mishra (interjecting): May I suggest that the colonel please come to the point? Now I have, Sir, prepared a plan of action right down to calculating operations and maintenance budgets. To my mind, victory is predicated on the first-to-fight principle. We must immediately inform the people of this country about the good job I did in procuring international approval for our endeavours. We must tell them that Clinton's keen interest in our well-being flows directly from the phone calls I had with him over the last two..(The General didn't particularly relish this attempt at self-glorification and cut the colonel short by turning to Major P. Mahajan.)Major P. Mahajan: Well, Sir, we have the biggest weapon in our hands, if I may say so. (He grins widely and winks.) Doordarshan and Akashvanitogether cover 90 per cent of the voting public. (He grins widely and winks.) Although it is a supposedly autonomous institution and the model code of conduct has come into force, we have our ways of making it work for us. (He grins widely and winks.) If we fire these satellite-powered weapons from aerial heights, even their Stingers will not touch us. (He grins widely and winks).(A round of here-heres greets this. Major Mahajan had a reputation for being resourceful.)Captain Venkaiah Naidu: If I may say so, Sir, even if we have to make use the media to defeat the Enemy, we need people who can shoot with their mouths. May I therefore remind everybody here that I am the party's official Bofors gun and have proved invaluable in all terrain and conditions, with shoot-and-scoot capabilities and a capacity to fire three rounds in 11 seconds. I now rededicate my services to the party in the battle ahead.General Vajpayee: The party depends on you as always, Captain. Now Second Lieutenant Govindacharya,you haven't spoken..Second Lieutenant Govindacharya: Pokharan II is the symbol of Indian nationalism and I have with me some radioactive sand from the Rajasthan desert that can serve as our astra in this campaign. I now plan to take it out on a rath yatra through the various battle zones.Second Lieutenant Uma Bharati (clapping in glee and admiration): What fun, what fun. I love rath yatras. I will make a lot of saffron bands to tie around the heads of the participants. Jai Sri Ram!The General sighed, as he dismissed his Council. He so badly wanted to write poetry but that was quite impossible in these times.
