Most
of the Indian readers of my blog, must have read when they were kids,
the story of a tortoise and two geese from Panchatantra ( Five
Principles or Techniques). This book, based on older oral traditions,
is believed to have been composed around the 3rd century BCE by one
Vishnu Sharma. The book is a collection of interrelated animal fables
in verse and prose, arranged within a frame story. The same story of
a tortoise and two geese also appears as a Buddhist Jataka tale too,
though with a slight variation.
According
to this story, a tortoise living in a lake had become friendly with
two geese. Because of a drought, the lake had began to dry up.
Pitying the future suffering of their friend the tortoise, the geese
suggest they fly off with her to their home in the Himalayas. They
would hold a stick in their beaks while the tortoise would grasp it
in his mouth, but he must be careful not to talk. The tortoise, who
is very talkative by nature, agrees to this condition and on the
stipulated day, three of them fly off to Himalayas. As they flew by,
children playing below see them and start making fun of them, because
of the strange sight. On hearing the comments of the children below,
the tortoise becomes very angry and opens her mouth to tell the
children to mind their own business. The moment it does that, it
falls down on the ground, after which she is found, cut up and eaten.
Moral of the story is that the tortoise spoiled everything good that
was happening to her, as a result of talking, when not required.
I am
much reminded of this story after reading about how a Deputy
Inspector General of the Indian Coast Guard , BK Loshali, has managed
to put his foot in his mouth by boasting about something with which
he was neither connected, concerned or responsible.
It all
began on December 31, 2014 when Indian coast guard received some
intelligence inputs about a fishing boat that left from Keti Bunder
near Karachi in Pakistan, suspected of planning some illicit
transaction in the Arabian Sea. The boat headed to open sea first but
soon changed its course and entered India's maritime boundary towards
Porbandar on Gujarat coast. A coast guard ship warned the suspicious
vessel to stop for further investigation of the crew and cargo;
however, the boat increased its speed and attempted to flee the
maritime boundary of India. The coast guards operation continued for
nearly one hour and the Coast Guard ship managed to stop the fishing
boat after firing warning shots. However, the four persons on board,
disregarded warning shots from the Coast Guard and tried to hide
themselves in the lower deck of the vessel; thereafter they set the
boat on fire, which resulted in an explosion. Ultimately, the boat
burnt and sank in the early hours of January 1, including all the
people on board who could not be saved or recovered.
There
was much relief in India as it was suspected that the boat probably
carried explosives for use in some kind of terrorist activities and
every one appreciated the alertness and efficiency shown by coast
guard. The matter was soon forgotten.
Last
week, one of India's major newspaper; The Indian Express broke a
story in which an officer of coast guard, B.K. Loshali was reported
claiming that he ordered the boat to be destroyed. He was quoted as
saying, “Blow the boat off…We don’t want to serve them
biryani…”.
Later
the news service released a video, which showed the officer beginning
his speech by saying that he has been given a text, but he will speak
from his heart and added: “I hope you remember 31st December night…
we blew off that Pakistan… We have blown them off… I was there at
Gandhinagar and I told at night, blow the boat off. We don’t want
to serve them biryani…”.
As all
major media played the story, it soon became a major embarrassment
for the Government as the officer was a senior officer holding a post
of Chief of Staff (North West Region), Coast Guard, Gandhinagar,
Gujarat. Defence minister of India himself had to come to rescue of
the Government and reiterate the official version that the boat’s
crew had set itself on fire, 365 miles off Porbandar after it was
hotly pursued by a Coast Guard team. He also had promptly added that
he will order an enquiry into the comments made by DIG Loshali deemed
act of indiscipline. Coast guard also confirmed that the officer was
not even heading this operation and was not privy to all the
information.
This was however not enough to quench the storm in the media, which was thirsty for some solid evidence to corroborate what Government was saying. That evidence came in form of a 4 minute video strip released by coast guard by week end. The video clearly shows the boat quite intact as a fire raged abroad. There was neither a break up of the ship as a result of any impact of a missile or a torpedo nor the boat had sank because of any hit. In fact the boat burned for several hours before it was consumed by the sea.
Worried
by the enquiry, he was likely to face and the flutter he had created
in India's defence establishment, Loshali issued a statement denying
the Indian Express report. He confirmed that he was not heading the
operation and was not privy to all the information. He reiterated the
government's line in the statement that the boat set herself on fire
and was not struck by the Coast Guard. However he acknowledged saying
that anti-national elements shouldn't be served biryani.
The
coast guard however, have not found Loshali's explanation acceptable
and have ordered a court of enquiry. The officer is very much likely
to face a dismissal for his bragging and casting a shadow of
suspicion on Coast Guard. No one can really help him now as his fate
appears sealed just like that of the Tortoise from Panchatantra.
23rd
February 2015
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