#Pathankot terror attack

Her hair was up in a ponytail, her favourite dress tied with a bow. Today was Daddy's Day at school, and she couldn't wait to go. But her mommy tried to tell her, that she probably should stay home; why the kids might not understand, if she went to school alone. But she was not afraid; she knew just what to say. What to tell her classmates of why he wasn't there today.

But still her mother worried, for her to face this day alone. And that was why, once again, she tried to keep her daughter home.

But the little girl went to school, eager to tell them all. About a dad she never sees, and also about the one who never calls.

There were daddies along the wall in back, for everyone to meet. Children squirming impatiently, anxious in their seat. One by one the teacher called on a student from the class. To introduce their daddy, as seconds slowly passed...

At last the teacher called her name, every child turned to stare. Each of them was searching for a man who wasn't there.

"My daddy couldn't be here, because he lives so far away. But I know he wishes he could be, since this is such a special day. And though you cannot meet him, I wanted you to know, all about my daddy, and how much he loves me so.

He loved to tell me stories, he taught me to ride my bike; he surprised me with pink roses, and taught me to fly a kite. We used to share fudge sundaes, and ice cream in a cone. And though you cannot see him. I'm not standing here alone.

With that, her little hand reached up, and lay across her chest. Feeling her own heartbeat, beneath her favourite dress. From somewhere there in the crowd of dads, her mother stood in tears. Proudly watching her daughter, who was wise beyond her years.

"I love my daddy very much, he's my shining star. And if he could, he'd be here, but our borders are just too far.”

--Anonymous

We celebrated the dawn of 2016 and on the next day (02^nd January) an armed terrorist group attacked the Pathankot Air Force station. Last year, on 07^th January when the offices of French weekly newspaper Charlie Hebdo were attacked the world and along with it many of my own countrymen shared numerous illustrations  to condemn the attack across their social media profiles. If you were to chance upon the Wikipedia list of terror attacks in 2015, you’d find a long list of places and types of attacks.

You’ll also find that many of the places were attacked, multiple times, within a short period of time.

This week though, newsfeeds didn’t witness a flood of illustrations and respectful tributes about the Pathankot terror attack.There were maybe few, maybe a small percentage, who had posted something relevant to this current event. Not many had changed their profile pictures as a tribute, the way they did few months ago when the #iprayforparis trend kicked off post the Paris attacks in mid-November 2015. Not many felt like saluting the men who laid down their lives in Pathankot to ensure the attackers won’t cause more damage or infiltrate further.

When deceased NSG commando Lt Col Niranjan was laid to rest hundreds in his hometown paid tribute, but we as a nation, we didn’t weep. Lt. Col Niranjan is succeeded by his dentist wife and 18 month old daughter. Both of them are SHEROES to be proud of.

Read more about the Pathankot terror attack here.

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