By M.C. Linthoingambee
We sleep a little bit more, we enjoy a little bit more, we feel a little safer and that is all thanks to the soldiers that works day and night to keep us safe. How many times have we all given something without asking for something in return? Drifting our faces into the pages of history we see the footprints of Shubhash Chandra Bose, Chandrshekhar Azad, Shahid Bhagat Singh. These are just the mention of a few for there are many others who gave their lives so that we can have today and tomorrow. “One individual may die for an idea; but that idea will, after his death, incarnate itself in a thousand lives. That is how the wheel of evolution moves on and the ideas and dreams of one nation are bequeathed to the next”. These are the words of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. So, if we really dream for a better India, maybe we can make it happen? There are many unwritten chapters that still waits in a corner to be discovered by somebody or someone. These hidden stories needs to resurface to relieve the tale again.
The time of the Kargil War in the wake of 1999 took a massive hit on the soldiers with the India and Pakistan fighting it out. There are many who laid their last breath just to leave a safer home for their families, children and most importantly us. The very order of the United Nations states the unprecedented prevention of a world war ever happening again as the wake of the two great world wars left unexpected suffering to mankind. So, why can’t we learn to shake hands and be friendly when we know of the consequences that might occur from our actions? To term it accurately we are more selfish than selfless. So, what has been happening for these soldiers over the years? The early return of the war left rewards for those that left a part of themselves into giving us a safer India which concluded with the promise of a hefty compensation of flats, a job and more. Today in 2014, several years after those days, these promises became blurred and slowly faded with each year that added to not owning up to those liabilities. Some are still waiting for those promises to come true while they run around, knock upon door to door to help them bring home the honor that is due to them. The Times Now Campaign under the #Sacrifice Forgotten is one of those few step that works to help achieve that forgotten faith that gained a voice for these martrys and their families that are struggling to keep their families up and running.
Times Now reported in July 2007 how Colonel Vasanth Venugopal, Commanding Officer of 9 Maratha Light Infantry silenced eight terrorists and in the encounter made the supreme sacrifice of his life. But today, seven years later the martyr’s wife, Subhashini Vasanth is yet to be given what is rightfully hers. The Defence Minister Arun Jaitley has assured that required action will be taken in Subhashini Vasanth’s case and has promised to address many such cases that have been brought to the Government’s notice. With the new Prime Minister at the helm, there is hope that maybe these promises will be made true. The Right to Life and Personal Liberty is one of the growing concerns that lays that all people be granted the same privileges of living a healthy life as all others. So, we will just be going by law in making a person’s life count. It is time that these forgotten heroes be remembered and cherished for their work and not thrown up like a crumpled paper pieces that lays beside our desk. As our birthright, we have all willfully surrendered our rights to the Preamble that reads as follows: “We, the people of India having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a (Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic) and to secure to all its citizens:Justice, social, economic and political; Liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;Equality of status and of opportunity; Fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual and the (unity and integrity of the nation); In our Constitutent Assembly this 26th of November, 1949, do hereby, adopt, enact ad give ourselves this Constitution.” These written words at the beginning of the page of the Constitution of India is known by many and written on all school textbooks as a mandatory awareness of knowledge. It states to mean that we stand for our people and not rule over them. These Martrys are citizens same as “You and I” and not robots which can be built and rebuilt at will and adjusted. It is time we defended what was written a long time ago when we fought for our freedom because they are still struggling for that freedom.