Lest you forget!

Every time I look at that picture below, my eyes go moist. I wonder how much courage this officer must have gathered to go out there where lies the mortal remains of her martyr husband and salute. How much pain she should have camouflaged to march towards the body and stand there. Still. Strong. And Salute. A thousand eyes fixed on to her. A hundred cameras focusing her every breath and another thousand odd, zoomed onto her eyes, in an air that filled with whispers and wonder and sympathy and adulation. Yes, she walked through it all and did something that we can't even possibly imagine. Then Capt. Dr. Rajshree Gupta, from then to now - you're always in our prayers and we cant stop admiring your courage. Respect.

Captain (Dr.) Rajshree Gupta, Army Medical Corps (AMC), salutes the tricolour-draped coffin of her husband, Major Vivek Gupta of the 2nd Rajputana Rifles, who died fighting the enemies. 

Well, I wonder how many of us take time to remember all these heroes. How many of us are even concerned about their families, about their dear ones? How much does the social networking and the media project this/them? An actor gets a tattoo and we have a page that is dedicated to rant about that, but a soldier lays down his life for our country, for you and me - he'll live for barely a week or so in the media, two more days maybe in someones status, another one day maybe in a magazine and then he becomes a page in history book that we seldom open.

This is not what we want. This is not we should be doing.

These valiant men could walk bravely ahead, knowing that death awaits them only because they thought that even without them, their families would be taken care of, looked after, given respect and love by us. By each one of us. Take that assurance away from a soldier and you cripple his determination forever. Never to return.

So take a moment off and think about how lucky we all are to be born in a land that is so full of such courageous and brave men, who wouldn't think twice to lay down their lives for you and me. Yes, Aee Mere Watan Ke Logon, Zara Aankh Mein Bhar Lo Paani.. Joh Shaheed Hue hai Unki, Zara Yaad karo Kahani.