“What say you to this?” I asked Lulu, my parrot. “They have carried out a surgical strike on terrorists camps in Pakistan.”

“Interesting. What’s a surgical attack?” Lulu asked as he hopped over on my table.

“They hit a target. But do not do damage to other area. A surgical strike is an attack which results in only damage to the intended legitimate target.”

“You mean it is like a surgeon removing a tumour which is troubling his patient.”

“Right! You got it!! But here was the attack on terrorists’ camp. So the tumour was malignant.”

“Okay. I got it. Cancerous you mean.” Lulu confirmed.

“Right ho! The variety that is dangerous and kills you soon.”

“Good job done by the Indian Army.”

“No doubt. They have destroyed the enemy camps. Did you listen to what Sanjay Nirupam spoke so animatedly about?”

“Nah! The man who moved from Shiv Sena to Congress? What did he say?”

“He wanted proof that Army actually carried out the surgical strike. He called them fake strikes”

“Oh!”

“And Kejriwal toed the line. So he became popular in Pakistan.”

“Does he sing a different tune now?” Lulu seemed to know the Indian political leaders so well.

“Yes, he does.”

“And I heard Rahul Gandhi also made a vitriolic remark, one of all-time-most-inappropriate remark if I may put it mildly.”

“You got it right. Everybody is shocked about his remark.”

“Your fellow Indians have abandoned good civic sense long back. But now they have adopted uncouth and malicious behaviour.”

“Hmmm….  I would agree.”

“Another surgical strike is needed. That should be done at AIMS in Delhi.”

“The Medical Hospital? Why?”

“That’s the only place where a surgical strike can remove the malignant portion of the corrupt brains of your political leaders.”

Lulu nibbled chillies, spat them out and flew away.

Vivek Patwardhan