IHAVE watched the media coverage on LSR English Honours student Gurmehar Kaur’s ethical stand on violence with great dismay and concern. We seem so determined to slot people into various categories that we tend to go overboard in making denunciations or get blue-in-the-face defending the indefensible. This is why it is important to give an unbiased opinion on some aspects of this unseemly conundrum. Firstly, Gurmehar is just a kid. All of 20, she’s studying at an elite college. She has seerat and soorat which isn’t unusual. Many of her peers are in the same category. She’s an Army brat and that’s pretty routine too.Secondly, her father, Capt Mandeep Singh, an Air Defence officer seconded to 4 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), died in combat in Kashmir, soon after the Kargil War ended in July 1999. He was entitled to wear the war medal authorised to all those deployed for Operation Vijay. Loosely called the Kargil War medal, it covered inter-service troops wherever their deployment was ordered. So does that make the girl a liar? Clearly, this is irresponsible branding.Thirdly, he died in a terrorist strike on his company camp at Natnoosa, Kupwara. The official report on his death states that the terrorist attack came in at 1.15 am on August 6, 1999. He received a splinter injury on the left infra-clavicular region and died instantaneously. Mandeep was thus a martyr as much as the Kargil War heroes were and, yes, he was killed by Pakistani/Pak-inspired terrorists. Is the young lady lying? I should think not. Have sections of media, ‘defence experts’, some itinerant cricketers and opinionated actors gone somewhat berserk? Take a call.Fourthly, I have some idea what I am talking about, instead of making breathless assessments on the basis of irresponsible reportage on social media or elsewhere. One of the units under my command as an RR Sector Commander in 1998-1999 was 4 RR, then located at Bij Biara, a few kilometres from my Khanabal HQ. I visited the unit often as operational commanders must. I knew its operating ethos, its officers and visited their company posts. Mandeep had about seven-year service and while I don’t recall him in particular, I do remember that 4 RR was efficient and had quality rapport with both locals and ‘intezamia’ (civil administration). The unit was shortly thereafter relocated to 7 Sector RR and went through a trying time which isn’t part of this narrative. This is when young Mandeep lost his life.Lastly, deprived of Daddy very early, Gurmehar was brought up by her wise Mum not to grow up with hatred in her DNA. Was that wrong of Mum? I certainly don’t think so. Reaching adulthood in that cocooned, ethical context if a 20-year-old kid says war claimed Daddy, is she showing political affiliation? The fact that the terrorist attack was Pakistan conducted/sponsored is not as important as a Mum and child’s survival strategy of growing up without hatred and revenge corroding her mind.Let the bright girl be. May she grow up to be a world-class pacifist. No harm there either. In the meanwhile, let you and I handle Pakistan and others in the way we are trained and educated for and without apology. Take a call.