FAINTLY RECALL A WORD... WAS IT ‘PEACE’?

WAR is in the air.

- SANTWANA BHATTACHARYA

In films and the dialogues therein, in what passes these days for diplomatic dialogue, in conjecture and commentary, in commodity prices rising and falling. In Davos. Sometimes just about averting a specific one, though always on the verge of it somewhere or the other.A permanent Almost War. Thankfully, the takeover traffic light for Greenland has turned red for now. The Danes can breathe easy. No immediate stocking up on war rations. Instead of being hit by a meteor on its western front, which was hitherto all quiet and really not even a front, Europe can refocus on its own suicide in the east. Ukraine, in turn, can refocus on counting allies and ammunitions to prolong its own moth’s flight path to flame.

Unconfirmed reports suggest China has sent no fewer than 16 Y-20 cargo planes to Iran, loaded with drones and missiles. Not exactly the Chengdu J-10C fighter jets that Tehran wanted last year, but war paraphernalia nonetheless. Our own Republic Day, too, is all set to display war formations this time—Sindoor and any forthcoming streaks of vermilion. The smell of conflict is everywhere on the body of peace.

Lo and behold, there was also the war over the Nobel Peace Prize itself, resolved unamicably—and with a vengeance strike against Venezuela to restore parity and soothe the nerves. The Norwegian Nobel Committee could have been a little more responsible in its choice. We have long excused Oslo for overlooking Gandhiji—that omission belongs to another era. But Trump? That was unfair. Poor man had to go Dutch with Machado. Much ado about something, backed by good collateral noise.