Podcast: Was the Martyrdom of Lt Col Niranjan Sacrifice or Error?

Listen to The Quint’s debate on whether or not the media should question the ‘martyrdom’of Lt Col Niranjan

Lt Col Niranjan died in the Pathankot terrorist attack. (Photo: PTI)

The Telegraph newspaper has asked a politically incorrect question in its editorial on Thursday. Did Lt Col EK Niranjan, the NSG bomb squad commander and only officer to be killed in the Pathankot attacks, deserve the honour of being a martyr?

The Quint’s reporters, Venkatesh, Aakash, Partho and Sohini made The Telegraph’s article the subject of debate, which we streamed live on Periscope, addressing whether or not Lt Col EK Niranjan truly was a martyr. You can listen to the audio of the debate below.

Here’s an excerpt from the editorial.

<p>Niranjan was the head of the bomb squad, but during the combing operation to clear the area of explosives, he was not wearing a blast-shield uniform. He fell victim to a simple booby trap planted by the terrorists. Niranjan also chose not to use specialized equipment like remote-controlled robots to move a dead body. Owing to this act of bravado, or stupidity, he lost his own life and had five of the soldiers with him seriously injured. Yet the last rites of Niranjan were performed with full State honours, with thousands paying their respects to him. No one is asking the question: does he deserve to be honoured?<br></p>

<b>Editorial in <i>The Telegraph</i></b>

Both sides of the debate have strong supporters.

There are some of us who believe that it is the job of the media to question and probe, and the editorial does just that. Others believe that young men who chose to put their lives on the line, rather than pursue success and wealth as civilians, deserve to be honoured. They also believe that the circumstances of their sacrifice should not be questioned. Where do you stand? Send us your views on Facebook and Twitter or leave them in the comments section below.