I am a coward. Yes! that’s what I am. I am saying this because I can perceive it in my bloodstream. I can be a confident doctor trying to inject life back in a limp body, I can be a journalist going all banshee about politicians and their filthy deeds, I can be a writer pointing out the hypocrisy and atrocities in today’s society or I can be a teacher fixing the screws of some dumbheads out their, only to enjoy the time after 5 pm, relaxing with my back on some cushion and my twitching fingers on tv remote, butttttt…… I can’t even think of becoming a Soldier .
We many a times overlook the sweat of valour dripping through their tired yet victorious visage, we forget the wounds of victories are still fresh, just veiled rather proudly by their heroic uniform. We tend to avoid their pain, their anxiety,their desperation (to meet their loved ones) buried deep down under their sheer enthusiastic persona.
Instead, for shrewd materialistic people like us the highlights of their oh so happening lifes are – 1st – low canteen bill they EXPLOIT , 2nd- posh sophisticated colonies they LIVE in, 3rd – the parties and all the fun and frolics they CELEBRATE .
Sorry! But I’m not patriotic enough to serve this ‘selfish country’ who not even return a simple GESTURE of gratitude towards these siblings of hercules, as ‘IT IS THEIR JOB ‘ . I’m not strong enough to sacrifice myself in some foreign alien land knowing that my family LITERALLY has noone except me just because ‘IT IS MY JOB‘ , I’m not selfless enough to take all the bullets targeted towards my country knowing that the family I’m protecting like my own extended one measures my sacrifices on the scale of facilities just because ‘IT IS MY JOB‘. The grass always appear greener on the other side of the mountains, rather the truth is – the grass we are mentioning here is all thorns and shrubs.
So rather then insulting these lionhearts by comparing their sheer altruism with their wee amount of so called ‘facilities’, lets pay the gratitude that these gallant warriors truly deserves – A True Salute to all those true Indians out their, celebrating every single festival in those death defying hell holes and never even complaining a bit, for its in their bloodstream where India play, the way the sunlight amuses itself in water – delightfully, freely and safely.
-by Mehul Pandey
………….. as long as its penned