In what seems like a sinister conspiracy against, national hero Major Gogoi, several media outlets have come out with a manipulated derogatory story to bring him down. The news reports have been trying to paint him in a bad light by reporting that Major Gogoi has been detained with a woman at a Srinagar hotel in Kashmir, as if he was detained in connection with some offence. However, the reality is that Major Gogoi had booked the hotel online. A 19-year woman, whose details have not been divulged, went to meet him at the hotel along with a person named Sameer Ahmed, a resident of Kashmir. The hotel owner denied entry to both of them leading to an altercation and the local police got involved.
Inspector General of Police, Kashmir S P Pani, reportedly ordered a probe into the matter. There was nothing contemptible or objectionable about the entire incident. In fact, the entire incident was spun off in a well thought out conspiracy against Major Gogoi. In fact, media outlets seen as susceptible to supporting a particular ideology have twisted the entire incident upside down. It has claimed that the entire incident is a “major embarrassment” to the Indian army. How can meeting a woman be an embarrassment? However, the story has misreported the entire incident. It has been wrongly claimed that the girl is a minor of 16 years and it has been claimed without any evidence that Major Gogoi was to spend the night with her. As it appears from some news reports, the hotel owner had called the police following the altercation. This was used as an opportunity to defame Major Gogoi. It is utterly shocking that popular media outlets have stooped to the level of manipulating and misrepresenting facts in order to malign a respected institution, the Indian army.
The animosity among the pseudo liberals and the media outlets which represent them has never been much of a secret. Major Gogoi had become a household hero even as he showed brilliant presence of mind in hostile circumstances. In an insurgency hit area of Kashmir, more than 400 stone pelters had cornered a few paramilitary soldiers and policemen in an election booth. The armed forces had to defend themselves in such adverse circumstances. It would have led to considerable bloodshed and major causalities but Major Gogoi displayed commendable leadership skills and instead of opening fire at the frenzied mob, tied a stone pelter who was instigating the mob to a Jeep’s bonnet. Afraid to injure their own man, stone pelting mob gave a clear passage to the soldiers. Major Gogoi single-handedly saved a number of civilian and soldier lives. That is exactly when the lutyens’ media came out with their agenda-based journalism. A plethora of stories were carried out on the issue demanding that Major Gogoi be thrown out of the Indian army. However, to their utter dismay Major Gogoi was awarded the ‘Chief of Army Staff’s (COAS) Commendation card for sustained efforts in counter-insurgency operations’. One wonders if those criticizing Major Gogoi wanted loss of lives at that time. However, this attempt at defaming him is a condemnable and dastardly act on the part of those misreporting the entire event. Those who had a problem with a national hero being awarded for his courageous leadership have now come up with this concocted story to defame him.
It is also difficult to understand why exactly a probe has been launched into the entire incident. It seems entirely unnecessary. There is nothing illegal in meeting any woman. If army officers are unnecessarily troubled for meeting any local, then it is only going to create avoidable friction. If an adult woman wanted to meet him voluntarily and willingly, what is wrong about that? It is not for the police to investigate into the private meetings of any citizen of the country. This only gives the impression that there was some sinister conspiracy against Major Gogoi.
