“After I joined the defence forces, one of my first wars I fought was in 1971. My team and I were working in -45°C, it was not just adventurous, but it was also tense. On the first day, when we saw our own soldiers dying, most of us were shocked. It was traumatising to see people you had dinner with, the previous night, fallen dead in front of you. As an officer, you’re leading a team of jawans and you can’t afford to show your fear or any other emotion. But it’s just the first day and first few deaths. Eventually, it becomes about revenge and people come back and proudly say, ‘I killed 5 people today’.

The thing about a war is that you have a defined target. But in other situations, especially when dealing with terrorists, identification is the problem. Sometimes, it’s your friend, neighbour or anybody around you. When I read that 40 CRPF jawans were killed by a suicide bomber, I was clear that India needs to give back an answer. It’s not because we lack humanity, but because we have so many other young soldiers coming from the remotest of villages in India. They need to understand that their lives are precious and the country values them. But Kashmir isn’t a recent issue. It’s being dealt with for years now. What most people don’t understand is that the armed forces can only suppress the terrorist and secludes citizens from being converted into terrorists. It’s the government’s duty to follow this up with peace talks to find a solution. Although none of us wish for a war, as a part of the defence forces, we will fight for our nation on any given day. What we expect in return is to find a solution to issues like these, which have been the concern of our nation for so many decades now.”

#ARMY #Jawan #CRPF #Nation #Kashmir #Hyderabad#HumansOfHyderabad

”I often feel like people don’t acknowledge
the
defence forces’ as much as they deserve. Of course, when there’s a big win on their side and they’re covered by media, everybody gives their wishes. But what about other days? Whether they’re on the border or not, it doesn’t matter. Each one of them is working only for us.

This is something I
learnt very early in my life. Growing up, I used to see my father wear his army uniform. In my eyes, I could only see him as a hero. I knew I wanted to be like him one day. I joined the NCC for the same reason. It’s a key parameter for anybody who is interested
in
defence forces. I want to serve people and my nation. Every time I hear about any army operation, my heart beats fast. I pray for every person to come out alive and successful. I probably will never meet any of them. None of us will meet them personally. All we can do, if not join the forces, is to hope for their success and give their families all the strength they need. On a regular day, when I look at a
jawaan or an officer, I want to salute and thank them. Don’t you?”