India, May 4 -- It must have been 6 am last Tuesday morning, when a notification pinged on my mobile. Surprised and with some concern, I saw a message blinking from my friend's son. He was distraught about the events in Pahalgam and berated the government for not taking any retaliatory action immediately after the incident. He expected me to do my bit by mounting a media blitzkrieg to pressure the government into immediate action.

I was shocked. I have known him since childhood. He was educated in the best schools India can offer and secured an engineering degree. Before graduating from the institute, he had a plum MNC job in his kitty. He has risen in rank and position and today moves in the charmed circle of upper corporate echelons. H...