Worthy of Worship

"Sandese aate hain, hamein tadpate hain ki chitthi aayi hai ke puche jaati hai, ke ghar kab aaogey, likho kab aaogey, ki tum bin ye ghar suna suna hai........" Words that have stayed with me ever since i first heard them. The greiving and worried yet very very proud parents, siblings, children of every person enrolled into the Indian Armed Forces spend most of their lives in hope. They worry whether they'll see their loved ones again or not. They grieve when there is no news. They feel proud whenever the forces achieve a victory.
The devoted rendition of services rolled out by the over one million strong Indian army is something to take inspiration from. It's something that should be saluted. Working conditions are harsh (almost always) to say the least. No life security (and we crib about job security). Order driven regime (of the superiors). The hardships of bunkers and the crossfire with the enemy. These are but a few of the risks and problems our servicemen face each day with pride, dignity, love and passion. The virtues you'll find missing elsewhere in the country.
But what becomes of this cavallery? What happens to these men and women fighting the enemy day and night for us, so that we can sleep peacefully without fear at night. So that we can crib about a 10% increment but no medical increase. What becomes of them? A jawan died two weeks ago from the heavy firing from across the border. He left behind a wife and a six year old. The kid won't see his father again but he doesn't shed a tear for fear of making his mother cry. He knows and accepts that he is the man of the house now. Nobody knows how many times this story might have been repeated or what happened to these young tots (those 'lucky' enough to get highlighted - 15 seconds only though).
No one gets a mention, no memorial, no coverage, no news. Yet politicians die and get a memorial, a samadhi. People remmember their names and all the dates of their lives. What their children are saying and doing even though they might be talking about a deal only in the House. No one cares to come up and ask what the government is doing for the people, who are actually keeping it safe (neither the Left nor the Samajwadi party). What schemes (quotas) are being given to them for enabling us to live and breathe freely. Who pays condolences to the family of the deceased? Who will care for the brave men and women and their families when they are gone? A mere 500 a month pention!!!!!! You can splurge crores on the no. of sittings of the House but you can't ensure secure future of the the families of those fighting the enemy so that you can sit on your ass in the right and comfortable place.
Aren't they worthy of worship? Shouldn't they be treated equally if not more than the politicians whom we accord demi-god status and who still suck our blood for their pleasures. I am writing this feeling ashamed and saddened of what this country and its people (yes i'm also here) are doing to the persons who should be worshipped. They in essence are the givers of life after God ofcourse. But these humble souls never ask anything for their services. Acceptance and love is what they want from us. I don't know what should be done to take care of the personnels and their families but do hope that something is done so that someday we don't run out of the youth willing to join the forces.......

Vande Mataram

Inquilab Zindabad.. Sarfoaroshi ki tamanna ab hamare dil mein hai.. Dekhna hai zor kitna bazuey katil main hai. Mere words to some, passion to many and life to rest. Whatever they mean to different people today, three quarters of a century ago they were golden words engraved across the hearts of the millions and millions of people across the landscape of the country. Like fire smoking through a forest, like river water cutting stone. A beautiful song sung by many in as many movies made on the pre-independence era, these words carry lot of weight age when it comes to patriotism.
Every nation which has sacrificed a lot to gain independence from someone else whether external or internal has a theme which each generation adhere to and follow. I don’t know how patriotic India is today but I have reason to believe that these words instill some sense of belonging, of faith and dignity even in the unpatriotic of hearts. These and the other outcries of the independence from British indeed move one to tears. These were written and spoken by one and all from every region and religion in the country. Perhaps this is why they are so sacred because they don’t have any communal overtones to them.
India has fought a long and hard battle against independence from the British rule. Many lives were lost. Many atrocities were suffered. But it was not enough to deter the faithful and the believers. Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Chandrasekhar Azad-revolutionaries in there own respect were instrumental in arousing the youth at that time to stand and fight for the country. In their short but eventful life they did more than many who worked on different ideologies. It was their love and passion for country that has today accorded them cult status amongst the youth of the nation.
The Indian National Congress was formed in 1875 to mark the beginning of an organized struggle against the rule. But quickly under unassuming leadership the focus was lost. Independence got demoted and being n power (somewhat) gained precedence. The political class of the Congress was content with being handed out assurances while at the same time doling out innumerable speeches to the naïve public. With no body to oppose him and everybody willing to follow him, Gandhi saw an impassable opportunity. Something no one had ever done before and no one could ever repeat.
He had a commanding voice, shrewdness, knowledge-all the ingredients of a motivator. At his helm were congress leaders who had the support of the masses. He was intelligent enough to work with people’s feelings. Shrewd enough to know what is best and what needs to be done. Gandhi was just as opportunistic as any of the current breed of politicians. If it hadn’t been for Bhagat Singh and his call for ‘Purna Swaraj’ Congress would have continued to run the rant of Dominion status for another 20 years. Bhagat Singh in his short stint as revolutionary did what Gandhi couldn’t do in two decades.
His popularity grew quickly, rivaling that of Gandhi in less than 3 years. After centuries of exploitation and atrocities the Indians were fighting for something that was actually theirs-Independence.
Bhagat was not caught in a police raid. He surrendered willingly to gain a platform to reach out to the masses. He called upon the young generation to rise against the suppression and fight for independence. Gandhi worried at seeing his popularity slip had to do something. If he wanted he could have had Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru pardoned by the viceroy, but he didn’t. Any guesses why? Gandhi wanted to leave behind his legacy, of which he wanted no partners. Had the Bhagat Singh wave continued, he would have lost out and with it his legacy, his dream.
Bhagat Singh was thus hanged while Gandhi pressed on his feeble efforts for independence. To Gandhi, leadership was easily available. He could have easily become the PM of independent India. But he had other ideas. He knew that if he got involved in power politics he would lose his sheen. He wanted something else. Something that would make him stand out. What better title than ‘Father of the Nation’, having control over the new government and yet remain the ascetic he pretended to be in the eyes of the millions for centuries to come……..