'The hurt I felt': Read this ex-Gorkha veteran's note on why Richa Chadha's tweet hurt him

'I cannot express in words the hurt I felt...' said a former Gorkha officer, Major Manik M Jolly in a message to actor Richa Chadha, who mocked the Indian Army with reference to the 2020 Galwan clash, on Thursday. The Army veteran highlighted the rarity of such 'loathsome words' from a fellow citizen, and made it clear that the hurt was not because he is a 'Fauji', or Chadha is 'not one'.

Chadha had sparked controversy by sharing the Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi's statement that the army is 'always ready' for any order from the government on taking back parts of Kashmir illegally occupied by Pakistan, with a shocking caption - 'Galwan says Hi'.

'You're all keen to play roles of Armed force personnel'

Major Manik M Jolly lambasted Chadha for the 'sheer audacity and shamelessness' with which she 'trivialised the sacrifices' of those who lost their lives and limbs at Galwan Valley. Highlighting the double standards of the film fraternity, the former Gorkha officer wrote, "In your movies, and this goes out to other members of Bollywood too - you all are very keen to play roles of Armed force personnel. Then your characters become pinnacle of honesty, bravery and values."

"Some of them die also in the movie, creating an aura of gloom and despair, nudging the viewers to search their souls and grasp the gist of that scene and movie, which is supposed perfect portrayal of a soldier dying in action and a brilliant life cut short," the Army veteran further wrote. 

'In real life, it does not happen like that...'

Major Jolly highlighted how 'simple-minded souls' like him often buy into that and believe that the fraternity has a lot of respect for the forces and these movies, apart from a financial venture, are also an extension of the same respect and adulation. "But then, after the scene, the hero gets up, washes up and goes on to live his life. If he actually cared for forces or not, having done that movie, we will never know. But let’s say the commoners but the charade," the former Gorkha officer wrote. 

Pointing out that it does not happen like that in real life, the Army veteran went all guns blazing at the actor for the 'mockery' she 'blatantly displayed', claiming that it not only showed her 'downright ignorance' but also 'hidden disdain' for soldiers.

"Those men were beaten and bludgeoned to death. And for what? Coz they were doing their duty of defending us. Coz they refused to think 'what’s the point? Why should I risk myself? Why should I die when some Richa doesn’t even care?' They didn’t falter, they didn’t hesitate. In overwhelming situations, they fought and killed huge numbers of enemies before laying down their lives," he further wrote. 

Meanwhile, after facing flak from all corners, Chadha deleted the Twitter post and put out a public apology. Claiming that it can never be her intention to hurt, the actor apologised and said that it would 'sadden' her if her 'unintentional words' triggered the feeling among her 'brothers in the fauj'.