My Mail To The Veterans Group

Since August, when Baba passed away, I have had access to his mailbox, and while he had just added these email ids to his spam folder, since I was checking everything, I ran into a mail group of “PSU Absorbees”, people who served the forces and then went on to join a PSU, either via absorption while in service, or resignation & rejoining. Baba was absorbed into Air India, to which he came on deputation in 1985. At some point, he must have given his email id somewhere and seems to have been added to this group, which he instantly consigned to spam. Suffice to say that even though I sent them a quick, “Wg Cdr Gadgil passed away. Here is his obit.” mail, someone forgot to take his id off, and I continued to receive their mails, many if not all of which were full of conspiracy theories, fake news, right wing claptrap, and hate.Today, when I decided to shut down his email id, I thought I might as well take this opportunity to bring up this elephant in the room with the group.

I reproduce it here.
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Hello Sirs,

A good day to you!

My name is Kedar and I am the elder son of late Wg Cdr Anil Gadgil (IAF then AI). He passed away on 08 August 2019 and I had sent his obituary to the group so that you may take his name and email id off from the addressees. I am reattaching his obituary in case you missed it the first time around.

This is a reminder to remove his contact from your database, since I am closing down this email id.

Before I go, though, I wanted to say something. Frankly, since I am neither a veteran, nor a PSU Absorbee nor a member of this group, you could well ignore this and go on your way. Or you may take this seriously and do something about it. Either way, it is your life; it is your choice.

Replying to it would be useless since this email id would be closed and your reply will most likely vanish into the ether. But since August (Baba’s passing) I have been receiving your mails in his mailbox, which I have been checking regularly, and I think this needs to be said:

1. You have all served, no doubt with distinction and merit, in the uniformed forces before retirement and absorption into a Public Sector Undertaking.

2. You are all well-read, well-travelled, and well-connected. You are wise with age.

3. That is why it is surprising that none of you seem to counter such messages like “UFOs are real”, “9/11 was an inside job”, “Climate change is a hoax” and so on. And I am not even getting into the other Nithyananda and Asaram defence claptrap. These subjects, if discussed even amongst semi-literates within the civilian populace, who have learnt and achieved less than a tenth of the youngest of you, are met with laughter & derision, mockery & straight up reprimand to the person proposing such crackpot theories, if not forthrightly, and immediately countered with facts, figures, and scientific and historical data.

4. I am also surprised with the sharing of what can only be called fake news. News that can very easily be proven fake, with the only thing being disclosed being the bias and the prejudice of the person sharing it. Then, of course, there is the whole “presstitutes“, “pseudo liberals”, “sickulars” and “leftists” slurs, and calling people “anti-nationals” and so on.

5. Lastly, I am shocked at the naked communal content of many communications, which under the guise of political commentary (none of which is even legitimate political commentary, for neither are the people sharing their opinion political experts nor are their views tempered with knowledge, data, or facts) is spreading bigotry and hate. The reason I am surprised is that there are many here who are of the minority community, and/or have served with them, and/or served around them in your careers (I mean, there are literally Muslim and Christian people amongst you here, aren’t they? I can see their names in the list. From Colonels, Commanders, and Wing Commanders to Generals, Admirals, and Air Marshals). You are all educated, well-exposed, world citizens. For you to spew such propaganda is the most shocking part for an outsider like me who has been accidentally exposed to your internal discussions.

Now, am I surprised that you have bigots and communal, casteist, hate-filled xenophobes in your midst? I am not. Because given a large enough gathering anywhere in the world, the presence of such evil and unevolved people is a statistical surety.

So, why am I surprised, nay shocked?

I am shocked because NO ONE SEEMS TO BE COUNTERING THE NARRATIVE. Why is no one amongst you dozens of smart, well-read, well-travelled, well-exposed, patriotic, scientifically minded, defence veterans who have served their nation and then gone on to work for PSUs (which were, incidentally a Nehruvian brainchild, as was the NDA many of you passed out from, as are the institutes of higher learning many of your children went to, and so on…all of which happened in the very same “70 saal” in which blind, deaf, and dumb people claim nothing did) appalled at the poison being spread by a handful of idiots within yourself? Why are they not shouted down and shut up with facts and data? Why are they allowed to get away with the impression that you are all in complete and total agreement? Why does it not shame anyone of you to ask these few people to shut the fuck up? These are the people who make it seem that you are ALL like that. No one can look inside this group, but in public, when such people speak and are vocal and loud, and no one stops or counters them, it is assumed that ALL of you agree. Do you not see that? Why are you allowing them to drive the agenda and to define you?

Remember, “The world suffers a lot. Not because the violence of bad people. But because of the silence of the good people.”

I leave you to your fate now. This email id is no longer operational. You are free to decide whether you will let a few bigoted people decide who you are just because they kept shouting and no one asked them to shut up and sit down. For people with such selfless and patriotic service behind them, that would be tragic indeed.

Good bye and Jai Hind.

P.S: Those of you who want to debate me are most welcome on my public pages in the link below my name. Just a word of warning: if you are going to throw a punch, be ready to receive one back on your chin. Else, stay out of the ring.
Kedar Anil Gadgil
Son and brother of IAF veterans
About Me

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For those who are interested in my writing about the connection between the right wing and fake news, see here.