They Shall Live On...

It has been almost a decade since we fought the Kargil war. As is the norm, we have moved on with our lives and forgotten the 600 men who laid down their lives for our country. But I recently came across an article about those men. And every time I read it, I end up with a fair sized lump in my throat. Please take some time off your schedules and spend a few quiet minutes with them. I think every Indian owes them that much.

Link: The Glorious Dead

Compare, Contrast and Shame...

I recently read this article and I was touched. Not just by the pathos of the situation but also by the reaction of the nation towards its fallen warriors. This is a nation that fought tooth and nail for the bodies of two soldiers captured 2 years back. This is a nation which is still fighting for the third soldier who was captured about two years ago. This is a nation that respects and loves the people who fight for the country. This is a nation that spares no effort to ensure its soldiers and their families feel every bit like the heroes they are. This is a nation that does not trade precious lives for petty political gain. This is a nation that we have a lot to learn from and emulate. Especially considering this is how we treat those who lay down their lives for us.

Their's not to question...

We often find criticisms of how the Indian government mistreats its soldiers. While the criticisms are often justified, at least our soldiers are fighting for India in India. A recent study reveals that the ongoing war in Iraq was started by the Bush administration by propagating false information in the form of more than 900 false or misleading statements in a variety of forums. [Link] What started out in March 2003 as a jingoistic show of power has today become a bitter civil war which has ruined the country completely. What kind of a government sends out its soldiers to fight someone else’s war in a foreign land and get killed in the process? And that too on false pretences. I think it’s a matter of great shame for a country that prides itself on the power of its armed forces and whose movies spare no effort to glorify these men and their decision makers. While I have immense respect for the soldiers who fight these wars, I am not sure the US president and administration is really as sharp and morally upright as their movies and shows portray. And what I don’t get is; the same people who were clamouring for Iraq’s ‘weapons of mass destruction’ to be eliminated, are quiet today as the conflict drags on and takes more lives each day. (American lives of course! as they don’t really care about the lives of people from a ‘lesser’ country)[Link]