HEY RAM...

WHEN " JAN SUNWAI " TURNS INTO " JAN TSUNAMI".....

WHEN " JAN SUNWAI" TURNS INTO " JAN TSUNAMI"......

OUR UNSUNG HEROES

OUR UNSUNG HEROES

Every year on October 6^th , Egypt celebrates its armed forces day marking its moral victory over Israel in the 1973 war. For a country carried one of the oldest civilizations in the world, this day will also be remembered as the day in which their most dynamic President Anwar-el-Sadat, who had been a leader in the whole Middle Eastern region at that time, was brutally assassinated. He was witnessing a spectacular parade organized at the capital city of Cairo on that day in 1981 to commemorate the country’s surprise attack on Israel which eventually marked the beginning of October War.

 Among those thousands gathered to witness the parade, no one, in their wildest dreams would have imagined that they are going to witness the most horrifying episode they have ever experienced before. As Mirage jet fighters looped and swerved in a spectacular aerobic display spraying colorful vapor over the procession below, a few soldiers riding in a truck towing artillery equipment had separated away from the marching column and strode towards the reviewing stand. Everyone believed the soldiers were conducting a pre-planned drill to greet their president. But what happened next was something unimaginable. As everyone frozen in shock, one among the soldiers threw a grenade to the stand while others opened indiscriminate fire at the president’s entourage. Several died. The badly injured president was evacuated to a nearby military hospital where he was pronounced death later on.

The whole world stood stunned as Egypt fell into a state of deep grieving.  

Can you just imagine a similar scene occurring at the majestic Rajpath when the world’s largest democratic country would be celebrating its Republic day and its President, the Prime Minister, a foreign head of state as President’s Chief guest along with several other cabinet ministers and distinguished dignitaries witnessing the kaleidoscopic images of India’s rich cultural diversity and its military might unfolds before them?. Can you just imagine a couple of gun totting miscreants sneak inside the sprawling India gate and open indiscriminate firing on those several thousand people who gather along the eight kilometer long majestic Rajpath, nation’s imperial boulevard,  to witness with their own eyes the incredible live moments of the magnificent parade?  I’am sure, many of you have actually started thinking about it just now as to how catastrophic of unforeseen magnitude it would be in a country like India. Nevertheless there are few agencies in our country, constantly working round the clock, several months before the event to ensure that the celebrations are conducted without the slightest glitch or mishap.

Those who show up to witness the final full dress rehearsal of the Republic day parade every year on January 24, may see   among them a few officials and organizers of the Republic day celebrations who are there to carefully locate any slip-ups that have to be rectified asap before the final parade on January 26^th. With them, you may also see, wearing dark suits, ear pieces and goggles, a few serious looking men standing unobtrusive, unnoticed and non-interfering but watching everywhere and everything meticulously all at once.  Spread around, blended with the public in normal dresses, will be several others from the same breed, merging with the ambiance, observing and imprinting the minutest details of every single movement within their brain and exploring what is unnoticed by others. They are the officers from the elite Special Protection Group, the National Security Guard, the Intelligence Bureau, the Research and Analysis Wing, the Delhi police and other Para-Military and Defense organizations. They are doing a job in which the risk of failure is enormous. Nevertheless they stuck with their single agenda that the nation’s pride moments should not be marred by any single untoward incident which will bring a bad name to their beloved motherland.

With just a few days left before the nation celebrates its 65^th Republic day, which coincidentally falls on a Sunday, millions of Indians and others all around the world would be eagerly waiting to watch it on their television sets while sitting in the comfort of their homes. But for those several thousand people who will gather along the parade route in New Delhi to witness the magnificent procession which showcases India’s military might and its cultural diversity, it will remain cherished in their heart for a long long time. And once the procession culminates at the historic Red Fort and everyone gets back to their houses, I wonder does anyone will really be bothered to stop and think as to who and what makes it possible for them to view this spectacle without any fear for their lives. They may not even aware, while they watch in wonder those Sukhois  and Jaguars flying wing to wing breaking through the blue skylines barely few thousand feet over their head, few standing right there beside them are least bothered about all those paraphernalia but watching something else.  More than 25000 of them, with their eyes probing for any awkward movements and with their index finger firmly glued to the trigger guard of their automatic weapon, will be standing everywhere in extreme alertness to ensure that every single countrymen who turned up to see the parade shall leave the place safely, carrying beautiful memories of a spectacular  carnival.  

And that is not all. When the synchronized military and police columns march proudly to the lilting tunes of bands through the Raj path, there will be helicopters of the mighty Indian Air Force hovering over the Delhi skylines incessantly.  Mobile hit teams and Anti-Aircraft guns will be keeping their radars ready to detect any potential air intrusion. Sharp shooters and snipers will be keeping a hawk eye vigil from the sky scrapers of Delhi. Everywhere along the lines advancing into the city you will see some uniformed men strapping a few extra magazines of ammunition to his pouch, stopping vehicles at random and check anyone who could have clone an identity card or might tailgate behind a speeding VVIP vehicle entering into the security cordon with a bonnet full of explosives. As a person who had, for almost eleven years, associated with the protection of the country’s Prime Minister and his family members as a Close Protection Team officer in the elite Special Protection Group, I can say with conviction that behind the glitz of all the paraphernalia of the parade, there are many officers and men who are working tirelessly behind the curtain thereby turning the national capital into a city under siege.

By now, the entire security apparatus in Delhi would be rushing through the final touches to make the event safe and secure.  Headquarters of the IB, R&AW and Delhi Police would be buzzing day and night with activities ranging from collection, corroboration and dissemination of large number of intelligence reports on likely threats from the various terrorist organisations operating elsewhere in India and abroad. Those inputs are to be disseminated to different agencies on need to know basis. Several discussions and meetings are then conducted among the officers to see whether any additional security arrangements are called for at any particular place.

They are in fact the unsung heroes who are specially assigned a job that nobody wants to do particularly when the going gets tough. They are the ones who burn their midnight oil, never care for their own comforts and yet simply do their job and leave quietly for an hour of sleep before getting assigned for yet another important mission. Their family members have no guarantee that their loved ones will come back home alive or wrapped in the national flag. Yet, Irony is that, our countrymen never spend much time thinking about the sacrifices of those armed force members and for many of them, it may even hurt their ego admitting that they are indeed the real brave hearts protecting the country. They think these soldiers are expendable and quite often forget to even mourn their death.  Their values are often realized only when incidents like Mumbai catastrophe or Parliament attack are discussed in the media.

Unfortunate isn’t?

Finally let me have an appeal to all our country men. We must never forget the solemn duty our soldiers fulfill for our nation. Remember our security personnel once in a while and show a gesture that you care for them. My attempt is not to sway public opinion or attain sympathy for the security men  but to simply state that their contributions as members of Indian armed forces will never be forgotten. Isn’t that just one special thing you can do for the country and its saviors during this year’s republic day celebrations.....?...Wish You All A Very Happy Republic Day....

P.S:- The "Parent Circle" magazine, in their special Republic Day edition has published the edited version of this article. Thank you Parent Circle and its editorial board for publishing this.....

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Like a beacon light from the lighthouse blinks and vanish restlessly through the silent night, years come and go with darkness and brightness till the infinity and beyond...Few who find the path moves ahead and survive whereas others dashes on the perilous rocks and succumb......

GOD'S OWN COUNTRY'S , GOD'S OWN HOUSE.....

Yesterday's visit with family to God's Own Country's, God's Own House - PONMUDI, TRIVANDRUM.....

WHO DARES WIN...????

AAP is all set to form Government in Delhi with the outside support of Congress party.....Their decision to stake claim to form the government is much debated in the media. As of now, with no sound solutions to the election promises made by party are seen in any distant future, we have to assume that their decision to form the government is just out of curiosity.

MERRY CHRISTMAS DAD....

Dear father,
Lot of kisses and Merry Christmas…..!
Yesterday, I’ve waited for you all day long though I knew you wouldn’t be able to come and join me to decorate our Christmas tree. And at last, when the final bus also gradually diminished and vanished on the culvert, my mind painfully realized that this is going to be a Christmas without you and I really felt bad. I just don’t want to celebrate it. But while guiding me back to the house, mother tried to cheer me up by telling why it is so important for us to celebrate Christmas to make you happy. She then helped me to take that beautiful glittering star of silver tinsel from my cupboard and crowned it over the top of my small Christmas tree. That was one beautiful thing I kept it for a surprise. My brother too helped me arranging the lights and winding the tinsel artfully round the trunk from top to bottom. We have then decorated the tree with a few decoration boxes I got from the fancy store nearby. Trying to hang the baubles of many colors on small hooks was really a challenging task for me. Mother helped me in putting some glittering pears and paper angels on every gap we could find in there.
But father, without you we felt we were lacking something. Alex, my friend next door and his father made a wonderful tree wrapped in red crepe paper and a lot of glittering stars. Later on, they had lighted the candles on the floor around its base and put some beautiful carols. They were laughing and dancing around the tree. It was then that the memories of our dazzling Christmas celebration a couple of years back thronged into my mind and I felt terribly sad. Again my mother’s caring hands came to my rescue. She told me that we should think of the job you are doing for the country and then I really wanted to tell you how very proud we felt of you.
Father, when the decorations were finished, I checked the tree from all sides and I found the stars were dull and the whole tree was appallingly blurred. I wonder why it’s so hazy. It was only when my mother came near me, gave a tender peck on my cheek and wipes away the tears in my eyes that I realized how artfully we adorned the tree. It was so beautifully made beyond explanation.
After dinner, I went to bed and no sooner did I fall asleep than I started dreaming about a loving Santa Claus dressed in red fur from head to foot coming down from the sky in a sleigh pulled by reindeer. His head and beard were as white as snow. He had a bundle of toys flung on his back. As dry leaves danced in air and clouds formed obscure images in the heights of the sky, he came down the chimney and sat upon my bed side. I could saw the glee in his eyes. Tapping gently on my cheek, he whispered in a subtle voice, “ Son, your Christmas tree is awesomely beautiful…I liked it…” he then smiled cheerfully at me. But I couldn’t stop crying. When he saw tears flowing down my cheek, he wiped it away and hugged me tight. With trembling voice I said to him, “No feat is too difficult for you papa… you can do anything. I have an appeal to you.”
With that gleeful smile still intact on his lips, he asked, “What do you want my little child?” I said, “I don’t want anything. I know you are virtually omnipresent. You can go anywhere. Could you please take the Christmas tree that I made for my father and show it to him and convey my heartfelt wishes and say how much I love him?
He then hugged me tight and patted on my back. I could hear him telling me in a delicate voice, “Don’t worry my child, I will do it for you. I will fulfill your dearest desire…”
He went out and I pursued him. In a flash he took the Christmas tree in the palm of his hand and jumped into his sleigh, he laughed euphorically and waved his hand towards me. I waved back. He then soon ascended above the heights of the cloud. Yes father, after a while I saw you too. Santa was talking to you. In his hand was my lovely Christmas tree. Today in the morning I jumped out of my bed and ran to see what had happened to my tree. Yes it was there. But I’am not sad. In fact I’am so happy for that I could see you in dreams. I love you dad and I’am proud of you. May the god keep you safe and secure in his arms.
Your loving son……

P.S:- Wrote this story when I found that I could not join my sons during this Christmas as my leave application was not sanctioned due to operational reasons. I thought about those several armed forces men and their loved ones back at home waiting for a few moments of joy.......Here in armed forces it's the priority that matters......Happy Christmas to all those who could not make it this time.....Hallelujah....