Summoning India: Bhaarat Samman

Chapter 1- Moksha

Leh Air Base

December 31st, 1999

India

Snow drifted down the mountains of the Himalayas as bits of it settled on his coat. The man was wearing an outfit fit for the freezing temperatures of the merciless Kashmiri winter. Him being there was a major publicity event, as he was the first Indian Prime Minister to be standing at that Air Base.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee, India's re-elected prime minister after two short terms, belonged to the category of leaders who are exceptional orators. Churchill was famous for his lucid English, short sentences and choice of powerful words. Vajpayee's oratory was stirring at one level and heart-warming at another because it was laced with poetic expressions.

The cameras were all on him, as live footage and audio were being broadcast to televisions and radio across India. Military personnel sat in chairs in front of the podium where he stood, watching his every move.

"As you are aware, the hijackers. The hijacking, diabolic and evil as it is, is but the latest manifestation. We must not spare any effort. India shall not spare any effort to thwart the phenomenon itself. The hijacking of the Indian Airlines Plane once again reminds us of the terrible reality of the communist terrorism."

Communism, a disease to modern economics, was a danger looming over India. While India has benefited from communism's lesser radical policies, communist elements had constantly been trying to gain a foothold in the largest democracy in the world.

"Almost all our countrymen have seen on television glimpses of the impossible summits, which our heroes overcame and pushed out the enemy. To gain victory at such heights is not only to surmount the sky-piercing peaks, it displays the full might of the nation. It is a symbol of the bravery of our Armed Forces."

"How can we forget such heroes?"

A simple nod to the soldiers who fought just months ago. As he spoke, the regional rivals, Pakistan and China, were conspiring against them, trying to spread the virus of communism into the rest of the subcontinent. The United States congratulated Vajpayee's re-election, a key ally to their containment of communism, as his clear statement for strengthening the friendship of the two nations.

"Jai Hind!"

A single chant was enough for their soldiers as they chanted the same, raising their fists in the air before pulling it back to their body. A clever ending to the speech as he was escorted away.

After he climbed up the stairs of Air India One and settled on his seat, his Principal Private Secretary brought up a few files that needed the Prime Minister's personal attention. PM Vajpayee wondered for a second if it would be improper to actually groan the minute he laid his eyes on those files. Nonetheless, he started working on them.

As the plane began taxiing, the Prime Minister caught a glimpse of the outside world from his small window. The mountains were beautiful under the descending sun. Ice-capped mountains, with clouds nowhere to be seen. It was worth taking a picture for memories, but work had to come first before anything else.

Just as the plane lined up for takeoff, the Prime Minister of the largest democracy in the world had a weird feeling. As if something was inherently wrong within himself. It passed as soon as it came, but it left PM Vajpayee reeling. He looked outside, but he could still see the soldiers in the base either milling about in the distance, doing their work or seeing off the plane from a hangar (in the case of the high ranking officers that were present in the base). PM Vajpayee looked at his Private Secretary and saw that he was peakish. But then again, his PS was always squeamish when it came to flying. The PM looked at his SPG detail. They did not give any outward sign that they were affected, if at all.