MUSINGS

Everyone works for profit. So do I. But it was always not so. Many years ago, I lived for a cause, as many of my friends still do. I walked over land so forbidden that people called me mad. I endured loneliness to such an extent that any other human would have become insane. I lived in weather so extreme that my thoughts froze, my mind melted. I overcame such hardships so as to make me immune to pain. Words like honor, integrity, fealty to an oath, fellowship and camaraderie were cornerstones of philosophies and ways to lead lives.

I often stood in harm’s way, so that my countrymen could sleep peacefully. For better or for worse, I did so unflinchingly. Day after day, I put my country above my family and myself. No one asked this of me, mind you. It was done because of a code of honor, which I had promised to abide by.

It is a different world today. I have almost forgotten that I once bled. That I fought for a cause higher than a salary slip. That I led men who followed me, as I unflinchingly followed my leaders.

So I sit behind my desk and tell stories. I see people bleeding for money, destroying their very homes that I had once pledged to protect. I see people going blind with greed, and turning savage with ambition; people who equate patriotism with a day-night cricket match.

Some think it is acceptable to call for the breaking up of this nation. They eulogize a terrorist, wearing his face on their clothes; a protest against the very existence of India.

They want to know why I would gladly die for a flag. Puzzled, I ask them why they wont.

Sometimes I tell them about the men who walked with me, the sweet victories and the bitter taste of defeat, the bile rising in my throat out of naked fear, the blood and gore and the smell of a dead body on the third day. They look at me incredulously and want to know how much I was paid to do what I did. I have no answer.

And then my mind goes back to the icy and arid wastes, which were once my playground, and I ask my heart, would you do this all over again?

My heart whispers back…YES.

I would do it over and over again, for there is no greater honor than to serve your motherland.

Major Gaurav Arya (Veteran)

#adgpi #IndianArmy

Author: Major Gaurav Arya (Veteran)

Editor In Chief - Chanakya Forum

14 thoughts on “MUSINGS”

  1. “They want to know why I would gladly die for a flag. Puzzled, I ask them why they wont.”

    When I hear people; the so called celebrities stating ‘We are artists, we love peace, do not involve us!’ I wonder where they would be standing today if our freedom fighters thought the same way.

    May be they had not pledged during their schooling that “India is my Country, All Indians are my brothers and sisters, I love my country”, or may be they just acted and never pledged.
    “Why do people confuse terrorism with art!”
    May be these people should be left at the borders… to pursue their art conveniently without confusions

    I was never a massive fan of any ‘film actor/maker’, however I did admire many of them for the obvious reasons.
    Now, I feel ashamed of these people and hate to consider them celebrities..

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  2. Dear Major Arya,
    Decades back Swami Vivekanand, the great patriot left message for his countrymen, “For next 50 years forget your race, faith, religion to whoever you worship. Just remember all of you have only one God to worship and that’s your Motherland. Serve her forgetting everything else and then see ‘INDIA WILL RISE
    LIKE NO OTHER NATION EVER HAVE'”.

    Unfortunately we all failed to his prophecy.

    Time changed, power and greed became weapon for many and a soldier’s sacrifice becomes questionable. There cannot be anything more pathetic and painful. Nevertheless, all is not lost. We still have many individuals like Adhiraj Thakur, a young boy from a school who is collecting funds for children of Uri Martyr’s. People are willingly coming forward to support this cause. The majority of this nation are with a youngster like Adhiraj. This is a great nation and its people have proved it time and again.

    We are with our forces. There is no propaganda machine which can separate us from our soldiers. The bond is inseparable.

    Today is Dusheera. Let’s take a pledge that we will not let evil win over truth. That will be the ultimate victory for every Indian who is ready to die for the Motherland.

    Jai Hind

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  4. Here’s hoping that everyone who walk that road will find beside them a billion foot prints… If good vibes could keep you warm and thoughts could deflect bullets our boys would always keep warm and come home safe!! The next time you grab that rocking black coffee ( with no sugar) be sure to tell them that its just a few fellow Indians that bother about marketing movies or cricket matches, the larger , simpler crowd just say a prayer- for our Forces. And we are not only proud of our Forces, hand on heart, we are eternally grateful to them that they chose to give up their everyday lives so we didn’t have to. We shall not forget that in those bunkers and sub zero temperatures they are awake when we go off to sleep .. And they would do that again and again. And we shall fall in line too. If not in real for we can’t match their valour, at the least in our thougts. To us Our Forces matter, above all. And Thank you for your Service, Major

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    2. Dear Neethu,

      Your comment really touched my soul. Each word of yours resonated deeply with me and my own personal thoughts about our Forces. I truly hope that I will read many more of your views in the near future. Keep on writing.

      Regards,
      Gauri

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      1. Hi Gauri, Thank you very much. I always hope that our forces know that we care and care deeply. We owe them atleast that much, don’t we?
        Thanks Neethu

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  6. Reblogged this on kininagesh50 and commented:
    Two most cherishable and respectable profession in the society are defending the nation and teaching. One safe gauads the people of the nation and other safe guard the nation through imparting the character building the next generation of the nation. In both the profession one should be the role model sacrifising self interest in the best interest of the nation.

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  7. While I applaud each & every word you have written, those in uniform should also be aware that all their actions, good or bad, is under public scrutiny today like never before. One bad example is enough to sully our image in the public eye and we hear more than one these days, especially at the higher echelons. Let us guard ‘our own house’ before guarding the borders.
    Well said, Maj Arya…Always a pleasure to read your musings 🙂

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