A story of 1980s Kashmir which led to fateful consequences for Kashmiri Pandits
Author: Rahul Pandita Published: 2013 Publisher: Penguin Random House Pages: 253 My Rating & Recommendation: 5/5, Must Read
Overview
Have you ever experienced anything dear to you being forcibly taken away, while you helplessly watch, may be even painfully comply!
Kashmir is a heaven on earth. A heaven with multiple realities where almost everyone has his/her own version of truth. This book is a heart wrenching narrative of one such reality which dawned upon Kashmir and Kashmiri pandits in the late 80s and unfortunately, continues to exist (and haunt) them and all of ‘us’ even today.
This book is a story of a young boy reminiscing his childhood days and the place which he called home (Kashmir). The author shares intricate details of his early life in Kashmir. The culture, fond memories of daily household routines, the forbearing culture, the beauty & simplicity of the place. I felt comfortably settled as reader before the painful transition of words & events started to bleed out of the pages.
This memoir is a disturbing tale of threats, violence, land encroachment, cold blooded murders and a systematic elimination of a target community (Kashmiri Pandits). This lead to unimaginable fear and eventually the mass exodus of a community as a desperate survival measure. The stories made me shudder and wonder in disbelief. As they say, ignorance is a bliss!
The gripping narration
The author uses the language like a wizard. He handholds the readers and teleports them to the events he witnessed, as if, you are watching it together, unfold right in front of you while hidden safely in a corner where no one can notice you. Amid the avalanche of sordid tales, he makes it a point not to lament. In fact, he gracefully avoids that despite being in the thick of it all. He doesn’t accuse, nor makes it a critical commentary. Instead, the author uses the sheer power of story telling to help the readers grasp the magnitude, intensity of the events, convoluted emotions and reality that was and that is today. The best part is, he let’s you ascertain and choose how you want to feel about these events without forcing an agenda.
Final Word
This book binds despair, resilience, helplessness, hope and reality into its pages. It’s a window that lets a reader get a glimpse of one significant, sordid and discomforting piece in the history of Kashmir. It could conveniently called the chronicle of struggle and hardship faced by one community, but it’s the scar that soul of Kashmir carries with it, it’s much more…
I keep untying the knots of restrain, It's a sweet symphony of pleasure and pain, Jostling the edges of a virtuous existence, It’s sinful and consuming , it's Indulgence,
The moments of exhilaration, so ephemeral, but the adrenaline rush, it's so damn real, I mean to pull back, may be rush a little slower, But it keeps drowning me, deeper and deeper,
It engulfs me to the core, almost takes over, Makes me do all the things, probably I would never, How long could it last anyway, it has to end, I am in control here, I almost pretend,
How do I escape this and alleviate the loss, Is it even worth all the convoluted chaos, NO is the answer, don't even take a chance, I convince myself to take a strong stance,
I shove it away, forever, in an imperfect ending, Finally, isn't this a better sense prevailing, but it hits back, again, with a vehement vengeance, It’s sinful and consuming, it's Indulgence…
Highlights of a short road trip from bangalore to Mekedatu & Chunchi falls
The story of my road trips continues to zip along. This one is about the shortest of my road trips (intra-day). The experience of this short trip to Mekedatu and Chunchi falls is very unique though. Mekedatu is a nature’s spectacle spiritedly seated around 120 Kms from Bangalore. It’s a gorge which almost forces the river Kaveri’s water to narrow down into it before gushing it out ferociously pretty much like a Formula One cars accelerates from a pit stop.
Onward Journey
We started from Bangalore around 9:30 am and took the Kanakpura road. The road is under construction (road widening in progress) which cuts down the speed. There are some decent food options on the way which is a pleasant change compared to my previous trips. We took a breakfast halt at MTR close to Sri Sri Ravishankar Ashram. It’s a self service South Indian cuisine restaurant with decent but slightly overpriced food.
Driving on on Mysore/Kanakpura road is far from pleasant. It’s usually medium to heavy traffic, unnecessary speed bumps and you just can’t get into a rhythm. It makes you jaded!
A large portion of the road passes through small towns with medium traffic however it starts to become picturesque as you get closer to Mekedatu-Sangam. We took halt a one such viewing point and it was splendid. You could easily spend hours at this place.
The last motorable point on this journey is Mekedatu-Sangam road parking. We reached there around 1 pm. Sangam is where Arkavati river merges with river Kaveri. From here, a 5 minute boat ride (Rs. 50) in a coracle (circular boat) to cross the Sangam followed by another 15 minute bumpy ride (Rs. 50) in a private bus finally leads you to the spectacle (read Mekedatu gorge).
Mekedatu
Mekedatu is a very different experience than anything I have seen thus far. The time and money spent on reaching this place is absolutely worth it. Once you disembark from the bus, there is small but easy descent trek (5 min) to reach the view point. The water gushes at high speed trapped between two rock walls. Few rocks seem to have developed big holes due to continuous high speed water flow. It’s an amazing sight, almost scary too. The safety focus is almost minimal here, so you need to be careful. An adventurer will be left wondering if only you could reach the water somehow.
After spending some time at Mekedatu, we came back to the Sangam (bus ride followed by coracle ride) around 3:45 pm. There is a Karnataka govt restaurant which became our hunger savior. The food is decent and the place is quite airy and adequately clean. There are not many options within miles anyway.
Chunchi Falls
From Mekedatu, we made our way to Chunchi falls. It’s on the same route but entails a small detour. We took a slightly different route in which approach road passes through a small beautiful village. Some part of the road towards the end is actually a dirt road, so you can expect a little wobbly drive. From the parking area, there is a small 10-15 min trek which is leveled surface initially and a short descent thereafter. Enroute the trek, there are small tuck shops selling tea, packed snacks and maggi etc. The waterfall is small (around 100m) but breathtaking. You can descend further from the officially marked area to get closer to the fall. However, getting into water is not allowed and water at the time was flowing at a decent speed. I am given to understand that you can actually go to some spots in the waterfall with help of locals.
The entry to waterfall stops at 5:30 pm. Post that descent trek is not permitted however you can use the viewing point which is at a height but quite far from the actual waterfall.
We started our return journey to Bangalore around 6:30 pm and had some bit of adventure still remaining in us. This quest took us on a small detour to Rasta Cafe. I had heard a lot of about this place and some friends mentioned it as a good option for a short drive (around1 hour) from Bangalore. It’s decent place however I felt it’s tad over-hyped. We had our dinner there and it was a good break from all the driving (blame it on the road). We reached home around 11 pm and it felt like a long but a very enjoyable day worth every single ounce of effort and time. This journey sits right up the list of places worthy of burning some rubber, Cheers!
The highlights of the picturesque road journey from Bangalore to Gandikota, Belum Caves and Lepakshi
My intoxication with road trips continues to be high. If you read my previous blog on Road Trip: Bangalore to Hampi, you know what I am talking about. Caught in the whirlwind of office to home to office that keeps devouring weeks and months together, roads trips are a great payback that accord the pleasure of gulping down long distances under the wheels of my car.
Road trips also give my wife and me an opportunity to ponder, reflect and spend quality time. She is a perfect partner and my Columbus on these trips because I am terrible with directions (I wonder if she accompanies me to save me from getting lost). We both enjoy these trips for sure. Gandikota is our fifth road trip of the year and it’s definitely one of the best so far, because this journey is as beautiful as the destination. Isn’t that what dreams are made of?
Journey from Bangalore
There are 3 routes available from Bangalore to Gandikota. We took the the route which goes via Airport road and takes right from Kodur junction.
Bangalore > Lepakshi (Pit stop for Lunch) > Royal County hotel at Proddatur> Belum Caves > Gandikota > Night Camp@Gandikota> Lepakshi Temple > Bangalore
Travel Plan
We started from Bangalore around 11:30 am and our original plan was to visit Lepakshi temple. We wanted to spend the night in Lepakshi before moving on to Gandikota. However, when we reached there around 2:30 pm, we realized that the place has almost nothing to offer beyond the temple and Haritha Hotel. The hotel has a mess style restaurant which offers fixed menu all you can eat meal. There are some rooms as well which were occupied. But the place didn’t feel inviting as a stay destination on a holiday. We had our lunch there and quite liked it.
Food Options on the way
A word of caution is that you don’t have much going around in terms eating joints and food options. Haritha hotel is the only place to have a decent meal once you cross Nandi junction on your journey. Post lunch, we decided not to visit the Lepakshi temple and continued on our journey to Gandikota instead. The journey from Lepakshi to Gandikota doesn’t offer much in terms of eating joints along the highway. Small road side stalls apart, there is absolutely NOTHING!
The road quality is absolutely phenomenal and it indulged us with breathtaking views , vast expanse of land or rocky mountains on both sides are exhilarating to look at. The rocky soil catches your attention, so do long distance unobstructed views on the sides of the road. The weather was great and sky was almost purple basking in the hue of setting sun and dark clouds.
We stumbled on to a Shiva Temple on the way which is quite an amazing place. There is a huge statue of Shiva and innumerable artistic depictions of various stories from mythological scriptures. You don’t really find so many of these around these days. Gladly it was evening aarti (prayer) time and we sat through the aarti, a blessing that came out of nowhere. The chants and bells were soothing to the core after a long drive.
We parked ourselves in Royal County for the night which is a resort 35 kms from Gandikota and it turned out be a great experience. This resort does surprise you with it’s ambience, especially given it’s location and surroundings. We had a good relaxing night at this place which perfectly poised us for the sight seeing next day.
Belum Caves
Next day, we started around 9 am towards Belum caves which is approx 70 Kms from Royal County. The road is as smooth as silk and you don’t get to say that for many roads in India! Belum Caves is an awe inspiring place. The idea of traversing underground into the depths of the earth feels hot & humid to the body but fascinating to the mind. The caves are huge and relatively easy pathways & access make it an enjoyable experience. It took us an hour and half underground to cover all the routes.
The story of no food joints kept haunting us on our way to and fro from Belum Caves to Gandikota. Gladly we had carried some packed snacks with us which came to the rescue.
Gandikota
On the return from Belum Caves, we reached Gandikota fort around 2 pm. The approach road to Gandikota, especially the last 5-7 kms will captivate you, it’s scenic and beautiful! The weather was hot but not unwelcoming and the beauty of the place makes up for it anyway.
The banished ruins of ‘once a great fort’ facing the rocky mud colored mountain, a gently flowing river making it’s way between the mountains, a large dam at a distance as the only sign of urbanization, all of it comes together and almost agitates your mind before making it peaceful and serene. The views are unforgettable. This place is called the Grand Canyon of India, it may be that or not, but it’s grand and magnificent for sure.
Camping at Gandikota
We decided to camp at Gandikota for the night. The camp site or Haritha Hotel are the only 2 accommodation options within miles. Haritha has very few rooms which are generally occupied. We chose the camping experience which turned out to be perfect. Weather was windy and cool, food tasted well and tents were just about fine! There are two kinds of camping options available,
A) tents in open area with no access to toilets (you can use toilets at Haritha hotel which are 300m away, yes you read it right, that’s the expectation!)
B) tents in cordoned area with air conditioned tents as additional option but more importantly with trailers on offer as restrooms.
Trekking & Kayaking
Early morning next day we trekked down the mountain to reach the river for Kayaking. The camping package comes inclusive of these activities. Rappelling is also an option but we chose to skip it given our current state of fitness (read minimal exercise & stamina). Kayaking was a wow experience given the water level was just 5ft deep which made it pretty safe and the guys are generous with the time they let you be in water. Many people were swimming/walking through as if in an open pool, with muddy water!
We started our return journey around 11:30 am. The road for first 15 Kms from Gandikota to Lepakshi is stunningly scenic. The quality remains good throughout the journey. We again reached Lepakshi around 3pm. Had lunch at Haritha again (rings a bell!) and then visited Lepakshi temple.
The temple is almost mystic adorned with monolithic art, primarily depicting gods, goddess’ and short stories. The temple is big and has a very rustic, old age feel with ample space to sit around and wonder what it would have been like when it was at its full glory.
I wondered how many people would have spent countless hours to build this, pillar by pillar, and the temple stands firm today as a testimony to their reverence to their work and the lord.
We got back to Bangalore comfortably around 7 pm and finished what turned out to a very different and memorable experience. So much so that it inspired me to write again after a hiatus of months all together. I saw a lot of people taking this journey on their bikes which is a very good option given the quality of roads (I know i have been harping about it throughout). This is all from my road trip for now. I’ll be back with more stories as I indulge in my intoxication. Go burn some rubber, Cheers!
A review of Ghachar Ghochar, a captivating story about a lower middle class household in Bangalore
Author: Vivek Shanbag, Srinath Perur Published: 2015 Publisher: Harper Collins Pages: 117 My Rating & Recommendation: 3/5, I Recommend this book
I picked up Ghachar Ghochar as a recommendation from a fellow blogger. It’s a nice & easy weekend read, almost as lethargic as some weekend afternoons tend to be.
Characters
The central character of the story is the narrator (Mr. N), who uncannily remains unnamed throughout the story. The story revolves around the life of Mr. N which is rather sedate, devoid of any real purpose & blessed with luxury of time. Another lead character of the story is Chikappa who is Mr. N’s uncle. Chikappa is the hero & villain (may be) of the story. Chikappa crafts the change in the family’s fortunes and enjoys reverence from the rest of the family.
Appa (father), Amma (mother), Malti (sister) & Anita, wife & victim (may be) are other characters who hold the story together. They all add to the intrigue with distinctive & neatly fleshed out roles. The ladies of the house have several shades to their characters. Especially Malti, who is portrayed as very headstrong with clear (or cruel intentions). Vincent, the waiter at cafe which Mr. N almost inhabits, is practically Mr. N’s conscience, delivering him coffee & ‘facts’ with panache. Overall, the characters are simple & unmistakably real, it’s hard not to feel connected. The dichotomy in the shades of characters consumed me a a reader.
Writing Style
Mr. N meticulously handholds the reader through the details about his family members in an eloquent manner. The portrayal of lower middle class’ lifestyle, chores, unsaid fears & emotions have an unmissable ingenuity. The dissonance of the family caught in the poverty of the past & the abundance of the present captures the attention as a reader. Mr. N has a firm grip on the story and comfortably helps the reader to absorb the intricacies and the undercurrents in a real life witness kind of style.
Recommendation
Overall, the book is a light read but it makes you think. It intrigues, resonates and also throws you off the balance a bit in the end, when you are least expecting it!
I recommend for it for sheer simplicity of writing, which is soothing, captivating and a complete antithesis of the meaning of its name Ghachar Ghochar . Happy Reading!
My mind’s confusion in the form of a literary expression!
It’s WordPlay, It’s a state of confusion!
As the story of my 'life' unfolds, I sail through the highs and the lows, Love and care look like minnows, Among the giants of pain and throes,
Things which seemed the best so far, Are losing bitterly in the reality war, Expectations are taking a merciless beating, Sorrows welcome me with greetings,
People are changing, may be they ought to, Reasons and logic are failing too, Only if my feelings could be like streams, They could quietly flow on to newer dreams,
High and dry, battered and bruised, My heart and mind are too confused, The right and the wrong don't matter, I've a thousand questions, but no one to answer,
To choose a path takes courage and churning, Should I lose it all or make a new beginning, What is it worth, what is the hidden meaning, I am on the journey of soul searching!
A soothing and refreshing road journey from Bangalore to Hampi.
Bitten by Self-Drive Bug
Lately, I have developed a strong taste for long distance driving. It’s absolutely soothing and fulfilling. Isn’t it? It’s like devotedly reading through the pages of a book over a period of weeks, or savoring the taste of blueberry cheese cake as it melts in your mouth. The idea of ripping down the highways with scenic views, my favorite music, my wife (she is my partner in crime, always!) has become almost intoxicating.
In 2018, I have taken 5 road trips, all of them starting and ending at Bangalore: a) Chennai b) Nandi Hills c) Goa d) Mysore (chauffeur driven, thank lord!) and e) Hampi. Bangalore to Hampi is about 7.5 to 8 hours drive including a few pit stops. We started from Bangalore at about 5:40 am in the morning and reached Hampi around 2:15 pm including 2 leisurely stops (about 35 mins each) and a couple of short stops.
The Road, and onward journey
There are 3 different routes you can take for Hampi:
a) Bangalore > Tumkur > Chitradurga > Hospet > Hampi (my onward route)
b) Bangalore > Tumkur > Hiriyur > Challakere > Rampura > Hampi, and
c) Bangalore > Lepakshi > Anantpur > Bellari > Hampi (my return route)
The road from Bangalore to Chitradurga is a breeze. It only gets better after you pass Tumkur. Driving on this road felt like a fork cutting through the cheesecake (A blueberry, of course). Roads such as these make you think favorably about the government machinery and you know it’s tough to beat that. Rs. 220 spent on toll (five stop points), I would say, worth it for sure. A big call out: there are hardly any good places to eat after Tumkur. During my last trip to Goa, we stopped by at a decent restaurant for breakfast. This time, we deliberately skipped that place to try something new. Alas, our hunger pangs made sure we ended up at VRL logistics canteen an hour later!
After Chitradurga, I took an under bridge right towards Hospet. Chitradurga-Hospet 4 lane work is in progress. The completed patches are good, but these are far & few. The stretch has short detours, obnoxious road bumps (meant to dent, underneath), loads of windmills and absolutely no eating venues. Some of the sights on the sides of the road are very pleasant, exactly the ones that make you want to drive.
Return Journey from Hampi to Bangalore
We started from Hampi around 11 am, and took the Anantpur route. Just after we left Hampi, we were greeted by a road gushing with water up to 2-3 feet deep. Yes, google does that to you, and far too often! Words would fail, but it almost felt like crossing in river in the car, and we did! So did many others, non nonchalantly. That gave me confidence, and made me think, ‘this happens only in India’.
The stretch from Hampi to Ballari is breathtaking (no place to eat) and we just couldn’t get enough of these splendid views. Fields filled with red chilli plantation, piles of chilly against the hue of dried grass and blue sky. If it sounds poetic to you, you got it right!
Ballari onwards, for about an hour or so (no place to eat), the road is almost a nightmare: potholes, congestion, road bumps (Karnataka special). During this time, I felt stupid to have taken that route. Thankfully, it gets better. In fact, it almost gets dreamy as you approach Anantpur and heavenly after that. Again, Rs. 280 of tolls (3 stop points) felt worth it, every penny of it. We stopped by at Hyderabad Chef for lunch and loved the biryani (ok, call it pulao if you want, it was veg!). We reached home around 8 pm. It was a leisure drive with frequent stops.
My road journey from Bangalore to Hampi was a great experience. I would definitely recommend a drive to Hampi. The Hospet road will only get better with time, but Anantpur route is worth exploring as well. So, go out there, and burn the rubber. Have fun, Cheers!
My attempt at goal based living and learning from the 4 year journey
Imagine how would it feel to be in control of your life, even if not completely, but in good measure. Imagine being able to progress on activities you ‘want’ to pursue, while still attending to a plethora of tasks you ‘need’ to do to pay the bills. Did you imagine that it feels amazing to be able to pay attention to yourself, your hobbies, your bucket list and to your family and friends? You are damn right! It does feel amazing and I can vouch for that. For over 1400 days now, more or less everyday, I have been taking a shot at this ‘amazing’.
2017 was the fourth year of my journey in conscious self development. That simply means: Set goals at the beginning of the year, pursue these goals and monitor progress. 2017 was also the first year of my five year plan. The idea of the five year plan is to have long term goals where each year’s efforts serve as a building block for the upcoming years. Like learning French is a long term goal as it needs continued time and effort investment and there is no defined end point. After the first year, DuoLingo says I am 40% fluent! (Numbers can lie & still make you happy). Among the short term yearly goals is reading a certain number of books (Iflunked it this year). Similarly, I pursue several goals i.e. financial, professional, health, family etc. It allows me to pay attention to all those activities & people, that I ‘want’ to and being able to do that is just ‘amazing’.
Overall, 2017 was a good year. From a large list of goals I worked to achieve, I was able to achieve some very important ones. Nearly completed/narrowly missed a few others and of course, made a mess of quite a few others. Yes, I have a bulging tummy, no excuses!
This post is not a scorecard though. The purpose is to share my learning from this developmental journey. For a long time I used to think that this sort of discipline is difficult for me (I am lazy, mildly put) to ever achieve. I couldn’t have been more wrong. ‘Arranging’ my time in pursuit of goals has come to define my lifestyle now. May be even you are used to thinking, ‘ah, i want to do this too, but it is very difficult to maintain this consistency’. Well yes, it is difficult! Oh wait, did you buy it? Absolute rubbish. Actually, it’s very simple, trust me! Once I started with a little bit of determination, it just kept rolling from there. This year on year process of setting, pursuing and monitoring goals is a deeply engaging and fulfilling. You just have to start somewhere, and of course, muster that willingness first up.
I cannot over emphasise the importance of pursuing goals. The results are truly satisfying. More importantly, I want to send out a message, that if I can, you definitely can. It’s easy. Before I started my journey, I read many people’s experience and wondered ‘how’ they do it? If you too are doing that right now, you are on track. Thinking ‘goals’ is the first step. The next three steps to keep in mind are:
1) If you are ever going to start leading a goal oriented life, know that NOW is the time to do it. Not next month. Not next year. But Now!
2) You don’t have to end up on top every damn time. Keep monitoring progress monthly/quarterly. It’s absolutely okay to progress very little, just keep moving.
3) Most importantly, share your goals with your close friends, take their help and advice. May be nudge them towards their goals and get nudged in return. I have a set of friends who keep me afloat. Their contribution is invaluable.
2018 is yet another opportunity to start. I have my goals ready and damn, I am as excited as the first year, may be a little more. Thousands of other people too are taking a shot at feeling ‘amazing’ this year, may be you are too. Best of luck to you and me. Cheers!
Funniest writer ever to put words to paper, do I need to say more?
The Inimitable Jeeves: For someone like me, to review the work of an author who has been credited for being ‘The funniest writer ever to put words to paper’ is like cracking a racist joke in front of Russel Peters (Been watching a lot of him lately). Therefore, this post is an attempt to articulate the novelty of the my reading experience. An experience which feels carefully crafted by the master in every single page of this book.
The ‘Inimitable Jeeves’ is my first PG Wodehouse book and now I wonder why I waited so long to experience the obnoxious yet subtle peculiarity of the British humour.
Characters:
The story revolves around Mr. Bertie Wooster, his childhood friend Little Bingo and Jeeves (Mr. Wooster’s valet). Mr. Wooster is a rich Englishman who has a strong affinity towards leading a tremendously simple life. He prefers waking up early afternoons and keeping the day free for reflective observations! And occasionally, for hopping into a club for intellectual discussions over a few drinks. Overburdened with this simple lifestyle, he responds terribly to any social contracts, responsibilities or any other activities unrelated to his lifestyle. Little Bingo, his friend, is more of the adventurous sort. He has a knack of plugging himself into well, complex situations. He neither knows why and how he got into those. Nor does he know how to get out of them. Interestingly, every woman he comes across, like gravity, makes him fall, in love.
He has a steady income in the form of stipend he receives from his uncle. The continuity of which is inversely proportional to the steady turbulence in his rocky relationship with his uncle. The close camaraderie between Little Bingo & Bertie. This implies that Little Bingo’s problems are Bertie’s problems. And Bertie is capable of solving none of those or his own. This is where Jeeves steps in! An intelligent and a resourceful man who knows, says and does the most appropriate things at the perfect time. Surprisingly, he manages to bail out Little Bingo and Bertie out of their clutter, all the time!
Jeeves is a master in the art of alluring persuasion. Like the times he makes Mr. Bertie sheepishly come around after the latter stubbornly decides to roam around the town wearing purple socks, much to Jeeves chagrin. It’s no wonder the book is titled after his name.
Recommendation
All the 18 chapters are small connected stories with a common theme. Either Mr. Bertie or Little Bingo or both landing themselves in a soup and Jeeves bailing them out with finesse. The crafty play of words keeps you hooked and pace makes you devour huge portions of it in each go. The humour is not just sprinkled but is carefully rooted into the plot, characters and their interactions. You will laugh your way through this leisure read with you so much pleasure. Happy Reading!
An Independence Day tribute to our soldiers who selflessly protect us! A call out to the bravery of our armed forces and their selfless actions that give a safety net and freedom to all Indians
It’s #Wordplay, It’s #IndependenceDay
‘A Soldier’, I had written this way back in 2015 as a video script for an Independence Day celebration function. This was published on this blog a couple of years later in 2017 but it continues to be current for what it means and conveys. May be even more so, given the developments in the recent years on China border.
This piece is my rant, which comes out of the guilt of indifference I have practiced all these years. As we celebrate our Independence Day in 2023, this guilt surfaces again. Unfortunately, I barely understand and appreciate the sacrifices of my fellow citizens, albeit superhumans, who give up way more for this country than they will ever get back!
My gratitude, ironically coming from the comfort of my couch but yet from the bottom of my heart, to each and every individual who is a part of Indian defense forces. Happy Independence Day, Vande Mataram!
A Soldier
I wake up and witness the early morning haze, And I feel a cool breeze blowing across the window of my room, As I wrap myself in the sheet to get comfortable, I think about a soldier,
A soldier who stays awake all night, In the coldest of the winds, Winds that blow incessantly across the snow-capped mountains, He is fighting the cold, sleep and his feelings, Feelings that make him want to be closer to his family, his friends, But he continuously drives them away, because he is serving a cause, He is there for his nation, for us, for protecting the borders of ‘our’ motherland,
And in the safety net given by him to me and many others alike, I witness a contrast, a contrast between indulgence and passion, A passion which makes the soldier’s suffering sacred and worthy, And a celebrated indulgence from us, in rhetoric and depravity,
As I walk through the silent streets of my city, On the morning of our independence day, I see indifference, utter disrespect, just another holiday, Like the souls inside the sleeping bodies are silently smiling, Asking me if this day really means something for us? We belittle the sacrifices made by a soldier on our borders,
While we are all caught up in the web of our own meaningless lives, A life that we live selfishly, only for ourselves, every day, Flag hoisting, albeit a token of respect seems like a drag, like our willingness to be a part of it, even once a year,
A soldier, he doesn’t need the splendor and celebrations, His lives on the edge, every hour and every moment, It takes courage to face the bullet for someone unknown, For any amount of money and splendor, will ‘you’ ever change the role?
