Some past in the present day

(i) That was a small batch of 53. It had a IITD Computer Science Grad (JEE 29) and captain of IITD Cricket team, another IITK Computer Science Grad who was captain of TT, Cricket and Badminton teams of his IIT, another IITD Grad who was the captain of the Badminton team, two National Debaters, toppers of one prestigious law school and many more toppers from their departments in IIT’s and JNU and other universities.

The country had taken them for service, from almost 300,000 applicants, at the salary of Rs 8000 per month. There was only one person amongst them with almost no genuine skills, hardly any past accolades, yet even his parents loved him from the depth of their heart.

(ii) During the Army attachment, there was a post on the LoC in Kashmir, where he happened to meet and mix with the jawans, as they laid in the bunkers night after night and see the tracer bullets fly over their head. They played with the ‘Night vision devises’ which showed nothing beyond a few meters while the news was confirmed that the enemy had imported devices that could see for kilometers.

Gradually he began to see how difficult it was to get a leave for any jawan- until the news of passing away of mother of one of them had arrived. The war hardened soldier had broke into tears and cried inconsolably and one saw in him a little kid, 3 to 4 year old, struggling to cope with his memories of that age with the helplessness of today, his duty.

Gradually the soldiers had found one like themselves in him and had confided so many things “We used to get two sets of shoes a year earlier but now only one set is given. (Someone sitting at the top is stealing the other pair of shoes). It is ok when we are on the border but when we go to home; it feels bad to go back in torn shoes”.
He knew that back home people are looked as heroes in their homes and villages.
Just for your information- the jawans were paid Rupees 5000 per month. But most people in Government job in his country don’t live for money, they live for their pride.

Jawans are brave and proud men; they continue in torn shoes on the snow capped mountains for two years and go back to their villages, whenever they get leave, in brand new shoes saved for the occasion. It is more about the pride and prestige of a family! The parents, the wife and the kids can live in pain of separation for two years, but for those 10 days of togetherness, they want everyone to know- they are part of the life of a hero.

(iii) Why only the men on the border alone?

He had been part of the teams where men had to stand on the road, their arms held up signaling to stop the fast approaching speeding truck, to complete the annual revenue quota for the district. This happened as the people in power did not approve mechanical check posts for fleeing trucks that evaded taxes (and became rich in the process) while they happily increased the revenue targets. There were close shaves for some, others were not so lucky. Someone was ran over, some jeeps were hit by the trucks, from the adjoining pond what came out was a mangled vehicle, two wounded men and two dead bodies.
In their country everyone loved festivals, except for the same police constable who people said they saw taking bribe from a tempo wala on the main crossing in the city. The constable did not like festivals because when people celebrated one festival after other in the warmth of their homes, closeness of their near and dear ones. He was asked to do law and order duties- with his lathi- day and night, with no leaves on any festival. From Durga Puja, to Diwali to Id to Christmas to Holi, one thing was permanent- his duty!
The constable was paid Rs 4000 per month in salary in the yet continuing Fifth Pay Commission in most places, Rs 65 worth of an annual increment in salary and yes, Rs 75 worth of festival allowance.
In growing discontent against the system- in state after state, the constables and the officers were being blown away by land mines and police stations were being burnt to ashes.

(iv) None had cared! The space given to them by the news paper- the beacons of national awareness- was less than the news for electrocution of a buffalo or the nth divorce and rth extramarital of some bitchy international celebrity. (Why International alone, a class of neo riches has emerged in India in last ten years who want to beat the world in all standards of perversions. OOOcch…..who am I to preach on morals? We are matured society!!!! Sorry to all! Please carry on with the L%^^ and G^& stuff with the same enthusiasm and fill pages after pages of your semi porn national news papers with that)

Anyway the poor constables and their dead bodies and their widows lost their place from the newspaper, from the national conscience and from my writing. But atleast one is within my control and so I will try to pull it back on track.

We saw the American Centre happen in Kolkata, hapless men fell to the bullets from the best international guns. We read much news, about the explosions in the railway platforms and people dying in burning trains, but nothing happened.

I correct myself, that became a habit and the initial rhetoric declined and people took it as parts of their lives and the Government compensation also declined or disappeared.

(contd.- but you would be disappointed even more)