A soldier's voice.
Dear Countrymen,
We all want freedom....but it won't come free. Let's make a deal. You don't forget our martyrs and I won't forgive your enemies. I want to make it very clear to you. Unless you learn to respect your martyrs like the Westerners in the piece below, I can't assure you that India will not be invaded and occupied. You want to be slaves, the choice is yours......
Some will never forget their dead, while some simply won't remember.
The harsh reality - we lost 22 of our bravest during the Kargil operations.
The sad truth - we have forgotten, life goes on.
Many years ago standing on the Rock at Gallipoli, I had wondered as to what do these Brits and Aussies have in them that even with a full half century and a quarter gone by they still throng to this desolate place - thousands of miles away from their homes - only 'coz their nation will never allow the memories of their martyrs be forgotten. The annual ceremony at Gallipoli is an extremely poignant and emotional affair. 2nd and 3rd generation descendants - who never saw the men who fell at Gallipoli, stand in solemn silence grieving with moist eyes and a lump in their throats. Australia sends at least 3-4 ministers while senior representatives from their MoD as well as Pentagon are also in attendance.
These memories and thoughts got rekindled yet again in 2014 when we hosted Prince Andrews at the Kohima War Cemetery. The Prince was on a world tour in commemoration of the 75th year of the Queen's coronation. He had a two and a half day itinerary in India and had been advised to visit Madras, Bombay, Calcutta and Delhi. These were the venues of obvious choice - after all what better way to rekindle our colonial past than to take the Royalty to each of the three Presidencies! Needless to say, at each of the venues he would have been assured of a grand reception and a gala time.
But what did he chose? The Prince politely declined all offers of gala times and receptions. He requested for a one and a half day visit to the Kohima War Memorial. His reasoning was brutally simple - he was on a world tour to pay homage to those who had kept the Union Jack flying high!
He landed in the sweltering heat of Dimapur, refused to take a chopper flight to Kohima, coz he wanted to get a feel of the road that had been rendered so vulnerable in the face of the advancing Japs.
For a scheduled 45 minutes ceremony he spent nearly two hours, visiting each and every grave. Returned the next day to Delhi, visited the India Gate and flew out to Singapore the same day.
No visits to the Taj or any other place of tourist or diplomatic interest.
He was kind enough to answer my query, as to why had he come all the way when a symbolic wreath laying at the India Gate would have sufficed. His answer, "Because we care and when you care, no distance is too long and no journey too arduous".
Suddenly, it all became clear - some societies will never forget their dead, some simply won't remember!
Will India ever learn?
Tailpiece.
Got up on the dot at 6, the chores, the Wednesday 'aarathi' and was ready by a quarter to 10. It appeared to be a rainy day but there was a lot of sun as the day passed by.
Mujib, dropped the medicines that we had ordered.
Kittu, now, stays at the rear verandah for almost the entire day. Has become more friendly and eats anything that's given to him.
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