This is what soilders in the frontline feels abt people like Shukla.
Anger and amusement against Media
One common complaint we found among soldiers and officers alike during our swing through some of the forward areas in Eastern Ladakh was surprisingly against many army veterans appearing as experts and commentators on the standoff along the LAC and broadcast media personnel reporting on the situation.
Soldiers were distraught, even angry that the majority of their former comrade-in-arms are critical and in most cases off the mark about the situation along the LAC. One officer, who will, of course, remain anonymous, remarked: “If I meet some of these writers and commentators in person, the only thing, I am going to say to them, is that the SSBs (Service Selection Boards that conduct psychological and personality tests on aspiring candidates) made big mistakes in selecting them as officers”.
Young and senior officers deployed on the frontlines point to unsubstantiated reports and wild speculation and the general tone of negativity that many veterans have adopted. “Many of them may not even have crossed Rohtang or Zozilla but talk with such authority about locations and events that we some time wonder if we are talking about the same place and same event,” a couple of officers confided us.
“Some others are basing opinions on their experience of the area gained years if not decades ago without realising the complete change in the ground situation. None of them knows what we are doing or how we have stood our ground.”
Another soldier was more amused than angry with television reporters and their hired experts. “Sahab, yeh media wale Leh ke kisi pahad ke samne khade ho jaate hein aur kehte hein samne dekhiye wahan hamare bunker hain aur pahadi ke us par se Chini hamla hone wala hein. Doosre log, Khardungla tak jaate hein or kisi nale ke saath khade hokar kehte hein, yehi wo Galwan nala hain jahan hamare jaanbaz sipahi shahid hue the (Sir, some TV reporters stand in front of a hill feature in Leh and start reporting as if they are on the frontline; some others go to Khardungla—the 18500 feet plus pass that gives access to the Nubra valley—and then start pretending as if they are in Galwan where the violent clash took place on 15 June). Another soldier said: “Yeh phenk ne wale media ne hame tung kar rakha hai (these fraud reporters have really troubled us).” Overall, soldiers wanted to be treated fairly and not be subjected to a ball-by-ball commentary.
https://bharatshakti.in/notes-from-the-frontier/
indianexpress.com
