There are seldom any winners in a war. No championship or trophies are floated when guns are firing, to use the cricket commentators' term, ``on all cylinders''. Atthe end of it, human beings are left counting the dead. What a dreadful thought. There is misery unabated. Whatever happened in Kargil is not yet over. It will never be over for the families who provided the `martyrs'. Perhaps, the only plus point of this skirmish was a real united front put up by Indians.

Maybe, we need to be reminded (sic) from time to time that India need not put all its faith in the people who run the country. That brings us to the vital query, how and why was the Kargil situation allowed to develop to the extent that it did ? Who is accountable for the brave youth, hundreds of them, vanishing from this earth ? I am certain the answers will be as difficult to trace as the ensuing mystery of the exploitation of the Kargil tragedy.

As I scribble these lines in praise of our determined soldiers, it pains me no end, to remind myself and my countrymen that we must care for the defenders of our borders during peace also. In the likely event of giving vent to our national emotion in crisis,we should not forget that our brilliant men from the Services are forever on red alert. Whether in peace or war, once a soldier, always a soldier. And, we as a nation, owe them an eternal salute, not just an intermittent indulgence and that too in the shape of pity or charity.

I am sorry I cannot harp too much about Kargil as it is not my domain. So I must revert to cricket and the latest of howlers emanating from the top brass of the BCCI. I mentioned earlier, once a soldier always a soldier. The extension of it is a parody. Once a cricket official always a cricket official. And you never leave the scene as a `martyr' -- that privilege belongs only to the players. It is a matter of great shame that BCCI does not have any gumption to swallow truth. Honestly, it is beyond my comprehension that the team consultant, captain, and the coach were allowed to write professional columns but when three or four players expressed their opinions on wider and positive perspective, the same was held as unethical. Howweird can the BCCI be ?

I am reminded of my playing days when a manager once prohibited me from visiting my wife's room! But, we were not the ones to be cowed down. During my time, I used to sit with Sunil Gavaskar and read the contract point by point. We would delete all the objectionable clauses and only then sign the contract.

Children should be seen, not heard. Point conceded as long as on top of the list is the secretary of BCCI. For goodness sake, you are there to build up the confidence of the players and not to destroy it. After all, what have these players done, just express their opinions. That they may not have done it in the team meetings, and have expressed their views now, only reflects how the team management must have been functioning. I can tell from this distance the Indian dressing room was not a happy place to be in. It was all due to silly clash of egos between the administrative manager and the cricket coach.

We are a free country and every player should have the right to expresshis opinion. These three players have not said something which in any manner can be construed as `indiscipline'. They have been our best players in the World Cup and we repaying them by destroying their morale and confidence. Perhaps, there in lies the tragedy of Indian cricket.