Its Vijaya Dashmi and not just Vijay Diwas

Today is 26th of July and I ought to break the chronology and mention something which inspired me to write this series ‘Lest We Forget’ I have to rewind & recollect our heroes whom I had watched on Television during the Kargil war. It is the ‘Kargil Diwas’. On 26th July 2009 we happen to commemorate 10th anniversary of the war. A war when 19, 20 year olds had whatever it takes to recapture those high peaks fighting an enemy who were placed comfortably. They had traversed the journey from being Boys to be the Men that matter too fast and met their end too soon. The wounds can never heal for those 527 families & the scars will remain forever with the wide gap left behind by those brave men. They have lost a dear member of their family. But life as they say has to move on!!

“How I wish it was just another day at work

and I was one more day nearer to go home

How I wish I saw my little baby
hugged her and just spent with her a little more time

How I wish I touched those feet of my mom
and wiped those teary eyes of her

How I wish I spoke to my better half one last time
and just told her how much I love her”

Those dreadful sequence of events right from the infamous Bus trip of our then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Lahore till 26th of July when the Indian victory over Pakistan was complete, have left an indelible impression on me and I wish to pay my tribute to each and every soldier who was part of the Operation Vijay in this very small way.

Our soldiers were not just fighting enemy but extreme climatic conditions, high terrains, altitude peaks and ridgelines most of which are over 16000 ft. Lt Manoj Kumar Pandey, Rifleman Sanjay Kumar, CAPT ANUJ NAYYAR, Vikram Batra, Saurabh Kalia, Padmaphani Acharya, Yogendra Singh Yadav are just few of those countless heroes this very war had seen. All of 19, 20 years old, these were the ‘Men’ for whom First comes Their country, then it’s the Army, followed by their dear colleagues & thoughts about themselves only come in last.

“I live and I die
On those high terrains, air and sea
I do it for just for you & your family
And never for me

I fear neither the enemy
Nor even the fact that I may not see the next dawn
I only fear for my family
As they just have my memories to live on

I shed my blood & face the odds
Neither doing it for fame nor for any riches
I am aware of my enemy who fights with the same valour
Which makes me realise to 'Fight but with Honour' ”

Some moments are best felt in silence and all that these wonderful human beings who believed in ‘Fight with honour’ wish for, is solace to their family and if possible few minutes of our time to remember their valour while protecting our frontiers so we could safely say ‘India is my motherland’

“Forget the history & forget the lessons

Remember me as just another human being but with a difference
If you can, lend some solace to my near and dear
And just dont limit me to potraits, garlanded twice in a year”