A War of Arrogance in the Middle East, Tears of the Innocent, and My Unfinished Journey!
Over the past few days, I have been dealing with the hassle of cancelled flights and hotel bookings, uncertainty over refunds, and the financial and mental stress that comes with it. Yet, beyond all these inconveniences, the greatest pain for me is that a dream I had cherished for many years has remained unfulfilled.
In 1983, while serving as a British Gurkha soldier, I first saw Singapore during an overseas military exercise. Since then, I had long wished to return one day and see with my own eyes how the Singapore I once knew had transformed into the modern, highly developed nation it is today—43 years later. Likewise, Hong Kong holds a special place in my heart. From 1982 to 1994, I spent some of the most energetic and meaningful years of my military life there. Revisiting Hong Kong, meeting old friends, and reliving those memories had been another long-held aspiration of mine.
According to our travel itinerary, on March 12 at 3:30 PM, my family and I were supposed to fly from London to Singapore via Doha, and then continue onward to Hong Kong. But that golden plan suddenly came to an abrupt end. A short email from the airline a few days earlier made the reality clear:
“Dear Customer, we’re really sorry that your upcoming flights have been cancelled.”
That brief message did not merely cancel a journey—it also paused a dream that had lived quietly in my heart for decades.
On the night of February 28, 2026—when the world should have been breathing the air of peace and cooperation—decisions made by powerful leaders pushed the Middle East once again into the flames of war. Some may describe it as a matter of security strategy or political necessity. Yet for many observers, it appears as a consequence of power politics, arrogance, and shortsighted leadership.
My personal loss is only an interrupted journey. But for millions of innocent people living in that region, this war has become a matter of life and death. Some of our friends and relatives working in various Gulf countries now find themselves living under uncertainty and fear, struggling simply to remain safe. For them, each passing day has become a test of survival.
The true cost of war is not measured only in statistics but in human lives. Bombings in Iran have taken away the smiles of countless innocent children, emptied the laps of mothers, and shattered families forever. Buildings destroyed by war may one day be rebuilt, but the lives that are lost can never be restored by any technology, wealth, or power.
In the twenty-first century, humanity often speaks proudly of living in a “global village,” where people across the world are interconnected economically, socially, and culturally. Yet pushing an entire region into war in the name of power and dominance remains a painful contradiction of that ideal. In an age defined by progress, science, and technological advancement, resorting to violence and destruction as solutions reflects a deep failure of human wisdom.
The philosophy of Buddha teaches compassion, non-violence, and peaceful coexistence. A victory born out of violence and suffering can never be truly lasting. History has repeatedly shown that war ultimately wounds everyone—some physically, some mentally, and others morally.
Perhaps my unfinished journey will be completed next year. But the human suffering and loss caused by this war will remain recorded in the pages of history as a dark and painful stain.
In the end, war may temporarily satisfy the arrogance of leaders, but it destroys the dreams, peace, and lives of ordinary people forever.
Article by Shivakumar Gurung
