क्या लोग थे वो दीवाने … क्या लोग थे वो अभिमानी… जो शहीद हुए हैं उनकी…

Once again 15th August dawned… I got up very early morning ( 6 30.. :-)). Reason was the patriotic songs being played at nearby school. All the usual songs that are generally played on 15th Aug and 26th Jan were being played. Usual stuff…

After some time the famous “Aye Mere Vatan Ke Logo” started. I was listening lying on the bed… after some time my eyes were moist… such powerful lyrics… and equally powerful voice…

So began my “Independence Day” nothing great really happened… I was still following the loudspeaker at the school… some speeches… then some song sung by students and that was it…it was all over.

I sometimes feel the day is losing its charm… somehow becoming a sort of formality.

In office most people were not even thinking of Independence day… Just a Holiday. Unfortunately I was also one of them (so shameless…)

After 10 00 am... there was virtually no trace of Independence day except for the flags on the top of many buildings and the same old patriotic songs at some places…

I think generally we tend not to feel the importance of the things that we get without any efforts of our own. I still remember during school days so many old people used to come to the school just to attend the ceremony... they knew what the word “Independence Day” really meant.

And in Mumbai we have not bear any brunt of any of the wars either… (Aye Mere Vatan Ke logo… was written at the time of Indo China war of 1962). So response here is even pathetic I guess…

I realized this when I visited Sikkim early this year… On the way to Gurudongmar Lake. the lake is near China border and obviously one has to pass through strict security of the army and only Indian nationals are allowed to visit there.

(Above : The Cold Desert of North Sikkim...)

At one such post one soldier gave us a Sikh religious flag to put up at the small shrine near the lake on his behalf. The lake is worshiped by Hindus as well as Sikhs and Buddhists and the shrine is common for all. We took it along and put it up on a flagpole there. Now on our way back we were treated as guests... taken inside the bunker... were served tea... fruity and all...

Now even though one can drive there, the lake is at a super height of 17000+ feet... the area is so low in temp that it is other extreme of hot... it is cold desert... even ice is so hard that it feels like stone. There is medical camp run by the army at 15000 feet and not all make beyond it... some go back from there...

(Above : Me and Deepa with our brave soldiers at the army check post...)

The soldiers stay for a full span of 6 months there... during course of conversation so many points came up. for all the sufferings those poor chaps were getting only 9k as salary and 5k as allowance when on border.

When asked... for the first time in my life i was feeling ashamed to say about my salary... I told him a decent figure... they were impressed to know that me and Deepa both were engineers... some of the soldiers had dreams of seeing their children become engineers. they were also not happy with the 6th pay commission... I felt very bad and i explained to them how they are respected everywhere and the booming private security business in the country hire retired army personals at high salaries as officers there and all...

Before leaving we thanked them for protecting we all....

All this time while stay secured and earn a lot and talk a lot about a lot os security issues and problems and all without practically doing anything.... the people who really face it are in such a pathetic condition... they don't even earn enough... :-(

For this one thing I appreciate government's decision to give a 21% hike over and above 6th pay commission.

Same story applies to our police friends... what they get is almost like pittance if you see what they go through daily...

The only thing I think that can keep them motivated may be love for the nation... but that alone won't be enough... after all they too have families...

Even though it is wrong.... nothing surprising if they take bribes....