Nation Salutes the Kargil Heroes

There are some events which fade away from one’s memory within 10 days. And there are events which remain fresh in the memory even after 10 years. And such an event is the Kargil War, which witnessed the height of the Indian army’s bravery, dedication and professional excellence. It is an event which has made a permanent place for itself in the history of India, and will be remembered even after 100 years from now, during the youths of our grandchildren.

10 years have passed. But I still remember the shock, tension and thrill that we all had to go through during those days when the war was going on. The entire nation was following the “live coverage” of the war on TV, with the same tension and thrill that we have while watching a cricket match between India and some other country. The only difference was that it was not cricket. It was a full fledged war, where our brave hearts were fighting not for winning any glossy cricket tournament, but for protecting the territorial integrity of India. And they were doing so by putting their own lives at risk, with smiling faces. And then one day India finally succeeded in saving her land from the clutches of the nasty intruders, who had stealthily entered into our territory and occupied the same.

Personally, the war was a great eye opener for me. That was the first time I found so many boys of my own age to lay down their lives for our motherland. Everyday I would come across news of the martyrdom of boys in early 20s, i.e. in my age group. And this forced me to go for an introspection, a self-analysis. I just questioned myself – “So many boys and girls of my age are fighting for their motherland, by risking their own lives. And what am I doing? Still leading a comfortable life under the shadow of my parents?” It was this thought that inspired me to think of doing something meaningful in life, so that I can be proud of my human birth. Yes, till now I have not been able to do anything worthwhile. And I do not know whether I will even be able to do anything likewise. But at least I had this enlightenment that I had rooms for development in my nature. And I am grateful to the young Kargil martyrs for helping me have that realization.