I stand behind my soldier.

“Don’t you dare die! It’s not worth it anymore.” I texted to him. “LOL”, he replied. After serving at Siachen twice, guarding hostile western and north eastern borders of India for almost 15 years, my army officer friend was very upset at the column published by The Telegraph Martyr’s Rites. He took it personally. Like every armed forces personnel in the country, Saurabh wears death defying patriotism on his sleeve and does not get affected by media jibber-jabber. He calls it half-baked information and skewed perspectives gained through a key-hole view of the situation since the media is seldom amidst the real action for more than a few hours. The noise does not affect the efficiencies of the Armed Forces at work, trying to either rescue civilians or executing combat missions. After all, every decision they make in the line of duty, is a matter of life and death.

The manner in which The Telegraph raises the questions about a war hero is revolting. Nauseating to the very person who serves the country every single day, year after year. While we were having an aggravated discussion about the growing apathy in the country, Major Navdeep Singh sent an eloquent response to The Telegraph. Although, The Telegraph’s decision to print such a degenerate opinion does not even deserve to receive a dignified response.

The more I think about it the more lost I feel. The Indian Armed forces is the solitary organization in the entire country that truly serves the nation and its people, in face of natural disasters or terrorism combat, irrespective of the social climate in the country or the political state of affairs.

As a nation, there is NOT one single thing that we all respect. Do we respect our Government or the bureaucrats? Or do we respect the politicians and the political ideologies? Do we respect the law enforcement or the law itself? Do we respect basic human rights or our duties as citizens? Do we respect education or religion or nature or personal choices or any bloody thing under the sun? NOTHING!! So when a fellow Indian, a person from media, questions if a dead soldier deserves respect, no doubt that my blood boils, but I am not surprised.

Not a single generation born in the independent India has had to support a cause or revolution in a manner where they put their lives on the line. Only the Indian Armed Forces shoulders that burden…a sovereign nation, at any cost. They serve with integrity, dedication and passion without asking for any special treatment. In over three decades’ worth of association with army, navy and air force, I have not once heard a serviceman or woman say that they joined the forces because they were not good enough for any other career. And every time a soldier dies, his spirit to serve the nation lives on through his family.

Indian Armed Forces has been understaffed, under-equipped, over-stretched, resource-strapped organization for decades only because national defense has not been the government’s priority since 1971. The bureaucracy got stronger but the Armed Forces was never invited to the party. There was a time when an Officer was considered part of the higher middle class in the society and held respectable stature. Not anymore. An officer cannot buy the same cars or afford the same property or have enough clout to send his kids to good private schools in tier-1 cities. The retired are struggling with ineffective pension system and the serving are besieged with obsolete technology and inadequate resources. The foot soldier is even worse off.

We do not teach camaraderie to our children nor do we practice any patriotism beyond supporting Indian cricket team. First, we do not ask our government the right questions, then we don’t investigate with objectivity and finally we don’t even bother to learn about the situation around us. Just because we don’t understand something, we believe that it isn’t worth any value so why bother with respect. In one way or the other, most Indians may admire the work done by the Armed Forces but every now and then some spineless reporter or a pathetic citizen with no real achievement to their name, will hit below the belt for two seconds of fame. 

All in a day’s work, it’s not that the Armed Forces needs you to do something for them…nothing at all. People are engrossed in their own lives and just doing what it takes to make ends meet. That’s all ok. But every time you think about the soldier in uniform, dead or alive, every time you see the soldier, please know that he is the ONLY one who will stand for you. Who will take a bullet for you. Who will die for you. There is not another person in this world, who without knowing your name, will do that for you. Our soldiers are our people.

If you allow any Indian or foreigner to insult your soldier or if you tolerate your soldier getting abused by a person who cannot take his place, then you’re not worthy of my soldier’s sacrifice.

So PLEASE STAND UP for your soldier, stand behind him, support him, trust him and when his job is done, thank him and salute him.