IS WAR EVER NECESSARY?

This is the story of my parents, who flee Uganda in 1972 with the rest of the Asians. They were given 90 days to leave the country. My Father a well settled Doctor (General Practitioner) and my Grandfather the Coffee King of Kampala, left everything behind and escaped within 90 days with the rest of the family. More about his escape in his SOON to be Published Memoir called:
                                                           
                                                             "THE DIARY OF A GP"  

              I have the priviledge to share one of the chapters from his book.
                                                           
                              
                                                  BY YASHWANT VIBHAKAR

 SYNOPSIS:

 It's year 1971, Idi Amin, a third president of Uganda takes over. Amins rule was characterized by Human Right's abuse, Political Repression, Ethnic Cleansing, Extrajudicial Killings, Nepotism, Corruption, and Gross Economic mismanagement. The number of people killed as a result of this regime is estimated by International observers and human rights groups to be 100,000 - 500,000. Following the expulsion of Ugandan Asians in 1972, most of whom were of Indian descent, India severed diplomatic relations with Uganda, but at the same time could not take the Indians into the country as most Indians were British Passports and they found refuge in the UK. The same year, as part of his " economic war", Amin broke diplomatic ties with the UK and nationalised eighty five British owned businesses.

~(Wikipedia)

                                           NOTE: Photos not used in the book, only for blog purposes.

 

Some of the victims of the Idi Amin regime recovered by local farmers in the fertile fields of the Luwero Triangle region north of the Ugandan capital of Kampala in 1987

 IS WAR EVER NECESSARY?

CHAPTER 19

"IN PEACE SONS BURY THEIR FATHERS, IN WAR, FATHERS BURY THEIR SONS".

                                                  ~Herodotus

It was a very depressing day, Grey sky was all covered with thick blanket of dark clouds with occassional lightening, flashing whole earth. With powerful lights, it was all depressing and a little scary befitting the prevailing mood of the country.

There was a breaking News on BBC radio that Idi Amin of Uganda, a tyrant with mercurial temperament, violating all human decency had carried a barbarous, inhuman aggression against Tanzania with his usual idiotic obstinacy, claiming Bukoba and Kagera region of Tanzania as parts of Uganda. While Uganda radio was quoted saying the opposite. It was a lame excuse to wage unjust war on Tanzania. The actual pricking thorn in Idi Amin's  mental flesh was the deposed president Milton Obote. One silent, dark night Idi Amin carried a blitz of Mwanza, the second biggest and commercial hub of western Tanzania. The blizzard of destruction halted every morning. There was also a sound of warning sirens in Kampala telling people to stay indoors. As it was, people were suffering and on top of that Idi Amin waged a war to increase more suffering.

I was too tired to think but still sat pondering "Why one should have a war"?

When we all know the outcome of war is nothing but the ruins on both sides? Even the victor is vanquished in the run, when his country incurs lots of debt due to useless war. Millions of innocent people become crippled. There is always an outbreak of killer diseases; hundred of people are under nourished. There is starvation all around and countless children, of no fault of their become orphans. All this suffering due to war. It is all due to mad leaders, pampering and satisfying personal ego and rigid inability to reconcile. Problems of differences between one nation to other could be solved by pursuing human understanding, love and compassion among one another and giving fellow human beings their due dignity. Welfare of people should come first rather their own personal vested interests. Then and then the peace of permanent nature can be established. Long back, I visited one exhibition. There was a pavilion where all the people of the world in their native constumes were shown together. There seemed all pervading unity in diversity. It looked like a symphony of universal connection. And we have United Nations where there is all the time diversity in the so called Unity!! Instead of brotherhood, in this war torn world, peace is shattered to pieces. What world today needs is not killing competition but life saving cooperation. Blessed are those peace makers of the world who are the real peace makers of people at peace. Individuals, the cross section of the society, different nations, world leaders -unanimasously desire world peace and condemn the war mongers and try to make this beautiful earth of ours a place of heaven, a place of worth. At least I would prefer the most unjust peace to the justest-war, because the holocaust it causes. Let everyone of us join in a toast to all weapons of war which are the main culprits destroying the world peace. "MAY THEY (WEAPONS) REST AND RUST IN PEACE AND PIECES" 

There is an immense power in forgiveness, a power available to everyone of us. Love, kindness and compassion are the triad to heal the wounds in your heart and wounds in the world. war is the negotiation of truth and humanity.

During the war with Tanzania, some of the captured POW ( Prisoners of War), as the story goes, naratted to the Tanzanian Authority either to kill them or keep them, as they did not want to go back to Uganda, as long as Idi Amin was ruling the country. Those wounded in war physically, psychologically and also spiritually have after effects of war known as post traumatic stress. Symptoms include explosive anger, depression and flashbacks. They were utterly scared of atrocities carried out by Idi Amin. As he was known to be a cannibal. He as they narrated, whether it had any credibility or truth is just a guess work. If that was true, then Idi Amin was the most shameful spot on the face of civilization. If not then he was spared of that disgrace. It proved what type of genes this cruel dictator may be possessing and it further proves his sick, perverted mentality as to be a Head of a Sovereign State!!

More about his escape and the story of starting over in his soon to be published book on Amazon!!