“He gave his today,For our tomorrow'”

This has reference to Gurumurthy’s poignant column,’-“Will Pitambare’s martyrdom sensitise us to introspect’-(TNIE-21 FEB).

It is said that traditions that are set at the beginning of an innings
sets the pattern for the following.A biography of Maj.Gen.A.A. ‘Jick’ Rudra by Maj.Gen.D.K. ‘Monty’Palit states, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru blew his top when Lt General Sir Robert Lockhart, the first commander-in- chief of India took a strategic plan for a Government directive on defence policy.The PM is reported  said:

“Rubbish! Total rubbish!We don’t need a defence plan. Our policy is ahimsa (non-violence).We foresee no military threats. Scrap the army! The police are good enough to meet our security needs”.(REF: Asian News Interanational,Lahore,August,21, 2006).

The Nation continues to pay a  heavy price for the policies of Nehru.

Countries around the world honour their ‘soldiers’ who don’t think
twice about paying the supreme sacrifice.There are wonderful War Memorials in the Capitals of Nations,commemorating the valour of their ‘sons’ in ‘service of the Nation’, except in India!!

60 years after Independence,no Indian Govt.has thought it fit to honour its soldier martyrs.In the U.S.A,U.K. and France,the awards for valour in the battlefield rank higher,in the warrant of precedence,than civilian awards.For example,the U.S.Congressional Medal of Honour,or the Victoria Cross or the French Legion of Honour.Not so India!!

And it is this lack of sensitivity towards the Armed Forces,that led to the Army not having ‘gun locating radars’in its inventory, during Kargil.It takes over three decades of ponderous ‘file-pushing’to decide on an AJT for the Air Force.Force Levels for the Navy,as decided by the P.N.Haksar Committee in 1973 are yet to be realised!!And,the icing is,we don’t celebrate ‘Vijay Diwas’ on the specious grounds that it may derail the ‘peace process’with Pakistan!!

Do we as a Nation recall Maj.Som Nath Sharma or Maj.Dhan Singh Thapa?Do our citizens know who they were?Does the media for that matter?

Major Pitambare acted true to these words that can be read in the
Chetwode Hall at the IMA,Dehra Dun,through which the Gentlemen Cadets pass out:

“The safety,honour and welfare of your country come first,always and every time.The honour,welfare and comfort of the men you command come next.Your own ease,comfort and safety come last,always and every time”.He gave ‘his today,for our tomorrow’.

The answer to Gurmurthy’s concluding query,the answer at present is regrettably in the negative.However,this can be turned around,if our ‘communicators’ decide to put the Nation before ‘Commercial Interests’.

VANDE MATARAM

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