INDIA : SAY THANK YOU TO SOLDIERS BECAUSE FREEDOM IS NOT FREE !
Shiv Khera , author of YOU CAN WIN , in his next book , FREEDOM IS NOT FREE, published in the year 2004, had said ,"Next time, when you meet a soldier, just say, 'Thank You'". This he had said while dedicating his book FREEDOM IS NOT FREE to Indian Soldiers, who according to him sacrifice their lives selflessly to ensure that countrymen sleep peacefully.
I say, "Thank you Mr Shiv Khera for your benevolent words in recognising this selfless service by soldiers." I ask my fellow Indians,"Do you?" At least, bemoan the endless stream of political families who were cashing the sacrifice of their ancestors even after 70 years. Their great grand children are hoping to become Prime Minister / Ministers of the country while sons and wards of PVC / AC winners are rotting in poverty. They pay the price of the selfless sacrifice of their soldier ancestors. We are definitely a land of hypocrites.
Shiv Khera quotes the sacrifice of a Lieutenant Triveni Singh, on 02 January 2004 at Jammu Railway station, who laid down his life, while saving the Vaishnodevi Devi pilgrims from a terrorist attack. He was going on leave to his home in Pathankot. He was waiting at Jammu Railway station to catch a train, when terrorists had struck at Jammu Railway Station. Without caring for his life , he single handedly challenged the attackers and killed two of them. Finally , he fell while chasing the escaping terrorists. His final words to his superiors were, "Mission Accomplished, Sir."
Shiv Khera asserts that Indians enjoy freedom at the cost of the sacrifice made by soldiers. Least they can do is to say "Thank You" . He , in his later Chapters of FREEDOM IS NOT FREE, laments that corrupt politicians and bureaucrats of all hue and cry have let down Indian soldiers from time to time.
He further goes on to say that soldiers were the true Indians. He finds others as RNIs ( Resident Non Indians). To the RNIs, Self is above the Nation while soldiers place Nation above Self. This is the real meaning of being Indian. Shiv goes on to say that India was replete with Punjabis, Gujaratis, Tamils, Marathis and so on or Sikhs, Muslims, Hindus, Rajputs, Jats, Gujjars, Dalits and many other identities but one hardly finds even a tinge of India in them. It is only the soldiers who exude such a scent of being an Indian.
So, true, it is. Soldiers believe in only one religion i.e being Indian. They worship at SARAV DHARAM STHAL. It is in this context, recently after Sunjuwan terrorist attack in February 2018, that Northern Army Commander , Lt Gen Devraj Anbu , had warned politicians so as not to indulge in politicising soldiers.
It is time politicians realise this folly and give due space to soldiers on the national platform. Unfortunately, soldiers have been left uncared and unsung by bureaucratic intrigues and political guiles. India does not give them their dues. In fact most of the times they were being ridiculed.
A chief of a social organisation went on to boast that he could create effective "warriors" within three days, what army cannot do in six months. There could be nothing ridiculous than this --- sadly this comes from a man who was the uncrowned king of the present ruling regime. If it was so simple, then why have such a huge army. Send his volunteers to the border and let them do this job. If they can stay for more than a day on the borders, it will be a great achievement. Such rubbish must stop. The yeoman service done by soldiers must not be so ridiculed.
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