Some wars are better than others

We should be more careful about the conflicts we choose to publicly raise our voices against

I didn’t protest Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. I wanted to because there was a lot of pressure on me—a lot of celebrities tweeted their displeasure against Putin—but the government of India’s refusal to say anything strengthened my resolve and allowed me to go about my business without commenting. Yes, men had been dragged to war while women and children were being murdered, but it’s not as if the West didn’t send a whole lot of money in support of the underdogs. How could my stand against the Russians matter?

We jump to support conflicts too easily, without trying to evaluate whether they deserve our attention. It’s why I look to the West at times like these, basing my reactions on what they do.

Take Somalia, for instance. On February 19, hours before Putin’s military assault, the United States hit Somalia with a drone attack. It was the latest in their war against a nation that has been going on in some form or the other for over 15 years now. I don’t know how many people were murdered in that attack because not too many celebrities mentioned it on Facebook, but I assume there were casualties because what’s an attack if no one dies?

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why the war in Ukraine managed to get much more attention than other serious conflicts that have been going on for a while and are still underway as I type this. The Rohingya conflict in Myanmar has already claimed more than 200,000 lives since 1948, with 2,907 official fatalities this year alone. Wars in Afghanistan have been on since the late 1970s, with 394 people losing their lives there in 2022 so far. The crisis in Yemen has claimed over 5,000 lives, there have been 380 deaths in the Tigray war, and conflicts have been reported in Colombia, Venezuela, Tunisia, Benin, Chad, Ivory Coast, Uganda, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Iraq, Sudan, Mexico, Mali, and Tanzania over the past 12 months.

This is far from a comprehensive list, given that it makes no mention of any events in our own backyard, or conflicts that have been part of our collective history for decades. So, yes, it’s easy to pinpoint a few reasons why Ukraine gets ammunition, support, a whole lot of funds, and celebrities tweeting support.

It’s important for us to toe the line when it comes to expressing the right kind of anger, because perception is everything in our social media-driven era. If we tweet in support of a conflict, it is important to make sure the right kind of people are raising their voices first. I always look at what the only people who matter in India do or say: Bollywood stars and cricketers.

If they say something awful is happening in the world, preferably far from our borders, I feel confident enough to add my own name to an online campaign or two. If they focus on promoting their movies while girls are being denied access to education for wearing a hijab, then I abstain from voicing any displeasure. This allows me to make sure I am saying and doing the smart thing. Yes, my conscience takes a beating, but I take comfort from the fact that silencing one’s conscience is the first step towards becoming a movie star in India. It’s why I look up to Akshay Kumar as much as I do.

Ukraine will undoubtedly sort things out soon enough. Presidents and Prime Ministers have stepped in to attack the Russians, there are banks cutting them off economically, and billionaires have been denied access to their homes, savings, and private jet landing strips. So, I don’t expect war to continue much longer. It’s interesting that these same steps could eliminate casualties in a few other countries too, if these world leaders and banks were to replicate their actions; but that’s asking for too much given their busy schedules.

I will spend the rest of this week drafting a carefully worded statement against the Russians for Facebook and asking a friend to click a photograph of me holding a placard with the flag of Ukraine. If I have the time later this year, I intend to also speak up against atrocities in other Western countries. I would have considered speaking out about human rights abuses in India too, if they were to take place, but everyone knows that’s just fiction. I only concern myself with real conflict in countries far, far away.

When he isn’t ranting about all things Mumbai, Lindsay Pereira can be almost sweet. He tweets @lindsaypereira
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The views expressed in this column are the individual’s and don’t represent those of the paper.

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