The past eight-nine months or so have seen two similar attacks/invasions in the history of the world, but with a vastly different response mechanism.
AFGHANISTAN was attacked by a tribal terrorist organization with mostly hand held weapons, short range anti tank guns, and small tanks. By contrast, UKRAINE has been attacked by a world super power which possesses nuclear power capabilities and the most sophisticated weapons in the world;
AFGHANISTAN had an army trained and equipped by another super power, the US, and therefore possessed sophisticated tanks, combat helicopters, long range artillery guns, tanks etc., and a troop strength larger than that of the Taliban. On the other hand, UKRAINE had mainly a self raised army of less than half to one fifth of the strength of the invader, Russia.
AFGHANISTAN was freed from the earlier rule by the Taliban in 2002; Similarly, UKRAINE was created on separation from the erstwhile USSR in 1991;
AFGHANISTAN was ruled by a senior (born in 1949) and seasoned politician cum academician, who had been at the helm of affairs at least since 2002, either as the Chancellor of the Kabul University, or as the Minister of Finance and finally as the President of Afghanistan since 2014. By contrast, UKRAINE was ruled by a much younger (born in 1978) actor cum comedian who turned politician only recently and became the President of Ukraine only in 2019.
Yet, AFGHANISTAN fell into the hands of Taliban, with its entire army fleeing the battlefield leaving the country at the mercy of and easily taken over by the Taliban. For several months the media was flooded with heart wrenching scenes of
the Taliban gunning down people, forcefully snatching away girls, entering homes, freely roaming and ruling the streets;
women and children wailing and weeping desperately crying out for help;
people running away and trying to flee the country causing chaos and mayhem at the airport, to the extent of even clinging to the wheels of US airplanes as they take off.
By stark contrast, UKRAINE is bravely staying put, boldly and courageously in front of the mighty Russian army. Its citizens have categorically refused to leave the country. They have rather voluntarily taken up arms, including women and grandparents, to fight alongside their army to together defend their beloved country, with only one moto –
We may die, we may lose;
But we will not surrender,
We will not give up,
We will not bow down,
Come what may!!
Their collective determination and dedication have now moved the neighboring countries to extend them military support. The media is now flooded with videos of even unarmed UKRAINE citizens, including elders, standing in front of mighty Russian tanks to stop them single handedly.
They have proven that when it comes to defending the motherland, it is not just the responsibility of the ARMED FORCES, but the COLLECTIVE responsibility of every citizen of the country, howsoever young or old, irrespective of gender.
Image: The New Yorker
But why this difference in the attitude of the Afghans and the Ukrainians ??
The difference lies and emanates principally from the will power of the respective leaders. The President and the people of AFGHANISTAN had got so much used to living on the physical, monetary and military support of the US for over 20 years that, they never tried to discover, realize or explore their own mental and physical strength.
So much so that when the US pulled its hands, AFGHANISTAN didn’t know how to handle and survive the misery and crisis. The PRESIDENT HAMID KARZAI, instead of staying with the citizens to face the onslaught, ran away for his own life with supposedly loads of ‘cash’ to an ‘unknown destination’, leaving the citizens behind helpless.
On the other hand, the PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, no matter how much inexperienced or young, turned out to be a man with a mind of STEEL and a heart of GOLD. Undeterred by the Russian invasion, President Volodymyr, kept appearing on the national television, in just a sweat shirt, urging the citizens to leave the country for their life, while simultaneously reiterating,
“I will not leave my country, I will not give up, I will fight for the nation even unarmed till my end”.
Had he wanted, he could have also chosen a safer simpler easier and yet a DISGRACEFUL route of escaping, but he chose the more difficult and yet the more respectful path of FIGHTING.
It was Volodymyr’s will power, his Josh and UNFLINCHING PATRIOTISM that upraised the nation to shed its fear of death and stand in front of the mighty Russian army fearlessly, even unarmed, giving goosebumps and sleepless nights to President Vladimir Putin.
Chanakya’s Neeti says,
‘Any education that does not teach patriotism is a WASTE’.
The citizens of Ukraine may not have flamboyant degrees from IIT, IIM, London School of Economics or Harvard, but they do know how to MANAGE and DEFEND their country in times of aggression.
The result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine may not be known now, but one thing is for sure..
The world history will always and forever remember this invasion with immense respect and honour for
the patriotism,
the valour
the unity
depicted by the people and the President of Ukraine alike in defending their motherland ..
Hope, it gives some lessons to the leaders and citizens of the other nations as well …
Amen!!
