Thread by @VishnuNDTV

1. (thread) Ambassador, that I should get you quoting Nehru is an achievement!😀My tweets were on the role & legacy of our forces during the Great Wars, quite separate from the views of any political leaders at the time. (more)

https://twitter.com/KanwalSibal/status/1485270202158030848

2. But seeing that we are now cherry-picking quotes of political leaders, do share your thoughts on Savarkar who, in Dec 1940, encouraged Hindu men to join various branches of the British Armed forces en masse. Do you believe Savarkar endorsed `mercenary' Indian soldiers?

3. Does PM Modi consider these men to be 'mercenaries' when he travels to war memorials around the world to honour them? Was it wrong for our national anthem to be played out when the PM visited Neuve Chapelle in France?

4. Was it wrong for Mr. Modi to have said, ''India remembers our brave soldiers who fought in WW-1. This was a war in which India was not directly involved yet our soldiers fought world over, just for the cause of peace.''

5. Did he trivialise the role of these men by calling them `mercenaries?' No.

6. Did VP Naidu on a visit to a war memorial in France not say, ''The sons and daughters of India have always stood on the side of righteousness even when confronting the toughest adversities ... '' (more)

7. '' ... and have fought gallantly and laid down their lives to uphold and promote these cherished ideals, in the far-flung corners of the world.'' Did he diminish their role by calling them `mercenaries?'

8. Since the word `mercenary' appears to strike such a chord, should we refer to the 39 Gorkha battalions serving in seven Gorkha regiments in the Indian Army as `mercenaries?'

9. They are a part of a shared colonial legacy, are citizens of Nepal and yet an integral part of core of the Indian Army ...

10. Should we refer to the Special Frontier Force, composed of Tibetan Refugees a `mercenary' force since they fight for our Army, are paid by our government but still owe allegiance to the Dalai Lama? The same men who recently gave the Chinese hell on the Kailash Ranges?

11. Overlooking our martial heritage, conflating a colonial past to a few words - `mercenary,' `colonial apologist' or `cannon fodder' are part of an attempt to re-write a key part of our history. The facts remain despite this effort.