Dost Khan
JAMMU: Attaining martyrdom for defending the motherland remains last wish for Indian soldiers like brave heart BSF Jawan Gurnam Singh, who bade adieu to grateful nation with smile of pride on his youthful but pale face. He had left a wish soon after entering 26th year of his bubbling age, which his mother kept by not allowing tears to roll down when tri-colour bedecked last remains of the son reached home for final journey.
“I will not cry. I have promised this to my son. Gurnam once said Mummy, don’t cry if I sacrifice my life for the nation. I said I won’t…he made us proud. We are proud of his martyrdom”, said the brave mother of the valiant soldier.
Gurnam carried a great tradition of Indian valour and bequeathed it for young soldiers, who will keep dedicating their lives for honour and dignity of Bharat Mata. But what about the 1.27 billion nation that is yet to set a response for treating the malady, responsible for sacrifices of Jawans like Gurnam? Did we care for him while he was struggling to defeat the death in Government Medical College Hospital in Jammu? We didn’t; so didn’t the Government, rather governments in New Delhi and Srinagar, that get restive whenever anything untoward-flue, fever or kidney infection-happens to Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Yasin Malik, Shabir Shah and all those who have all along demeaned these soldiers and ridiculed them with the tag of ‘Indian dogs’. Anyway, the irony of this nation is that these secessionists are more precious than those wearing mantle of martyrdom with smile and pride.
Gurnam Singh’s sister kept yelling before television cameras for shifting her ‘Veerji’ to some specialised hospital so that he lives for the family and the nation. The innocent sister cannot be as brave as the mother, who imbibed the ‘Beiji’ of Bhagat Singh who honoured with pride every single word of the martyr son, “Dam Nikle Is Desh Ki Khatir Bas Itna Armaan Hai Ek Bar Is Raah Mei Marna Sau Janmo Ke Saman Hai.”
When shall this nation understand the value of a soldier, who has been exploited by successive governments but never owned up. Heavens would not have fallen if Gurnam Singh had been shifted to New Delhi for specialized treatment for his fatal injuries which he sustained while challenging infiltrators in Hiranagar and averting a major catastrophe. But the conscience of rulers did not heed to the sobs and agonies of a helpless sister. On the contrary, they remain on toes when Kashmiri separatists like Geelani need medical attention.
Remember how the Government of India volunteered to undertake treatment of Syed Ali Shah Geelani in a premier medical institute of Mumbai in 2007 after the United States flatly refused to grant visa to him on 28th March 2007 on the ground that he (Geelani) had refused to renounce violence as a weapon to achieve political objectives in Kashmir. The desperate appeal of Geelani supporters did not deter Americans to relent but New Delhi showed extra-ordinary urgency in having him admitted in Tata Memorial Hospital. What he (Geelani) gave back, is actually what the Indian leadership deserved, which prefers traitors over patriots like Gurnam Singh. On reaching Srinagar Airport to a ‘rousing reception’ in mid 2007, the hard-core separatist hawk Geelani used choicest abuses against Indian nation immediately after alighting from the aircraft. He is not the only example of Indian appeasement. Almost all Kashmiri separatists continue to get incentivized for raising revolt against the Indian state. Memory is still afresh how Yasin Malik had been provided a special air-craft to reach premier hospital of the country for treatment. They remain most sought-after entities for New Delhi. In such a scenario, how can Gurnam Singh get attention? This nation wants killers and terrorists not to be killed (as Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said the other day) but watches Jawans like Gurnam Singh to die in the hospital. Indian martyrs remain unsung heroes for whom two-word tributes are even costlier.
Unmindful of what the nation thinks of them, Jawans like Gurnam Singh shall keep the flag of sacrifice aloft till eternity. They are selfless souls, which only know to give and not to take. In the words of martyr Gurnam Singh’s father Kulbir Singh, “We are proud of the martyrdom of our son. He laid down life for the country. He was brave-heart soldier. But our demand is that a good hospital be set up here, where all critical care medicare and facilities are available so that our sons (border guards) can be saved in such situations”. Salute to Martyr Gurnam Singh!