Monday 22 February 2016

The tale of two Dogmas: An irony in the Story of Captain Pawan Kumar




"Kisiko reservation chahiye to kisiko azadi bhai. Humein kuchh nahin chahiye bhai. Bas apni razai. (Some want reservation and some independence, I don't want anything, brother, I want only my quilt/bedspread)," said the 23-year-old captain Pawan Kumar in his last Facebook post. Captain Pawan Kumar martyred yesterday in a gun battle with the terrorists who had occupied the EDI building in Pampore, Jammu & Kashmir. EDI or the Entrepreneurship Development Institute is a multi-storied government building. 3 Army Jawans & 2 CRPF personnel have been martyred so far in this encounter.
The irony lies here. At a time when the Jats are violently protesting for reservations and at a time when students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) are howling anti-National slogans, a Jawan for the Jat Community who had secured his degree from the JNU has martyred for India. The anomaly of Nationalism is perfectly displayed in this event. Personally I do not advocate the identification of Soldiers from the Standards of Caste/Religion. Such advocacy should out rightly be opposed. However, at a time when people from certain community and Students of a certain University are setting a wrong precedent, this Hero of Indian Army Captain Pawan Kumar is an inspiration and guiding force to such persons.



 



Nothing can make good or indemnify the sacrifice for a Nation. We cannot repay our debt for martyrs like Pawan Kumar. Yet, why not the Jats, and why not the protesting students of JNU learn from the martyr Captain?



I am reminded of an old story. The story of twin parrots. Two parrots, being twins, were born to a certain parrot. The mother parrot died soon after her delivery. The little parrots were orphaned. A noble and respectable man reared one parrot and another parrot was stolen by a thief. Years went by. It so happened that on one occasion, the thief came to loot the house of the noble man (he had the parrot along with him). The parrot in the noble man’s house was chanting prayers, saying good words, and was sympathetic to the people. The thief’s parrot was all abusive, with a fouls mouth, and helped the thief in looting the house. However, the good parrot warned the noble man well in advance and the thief along with the parrot was caught and put behind bars. The moral from this story is simply this, “Be of the same blood or of the same skin or race, your environment/circumstances/surroundings determine what you eventually become”. The milieu for any person is of utmost importance. We must take care of how our children are reared. We must also take care of how we guide our youths in the Centers of Learning and in the Communities as such.We must set the right precedents for the youth of this Nation. We have on one hand protests, sloganeering, sedition, and violence, and on the other we have Nationalism, Pride, and Martyrdom. The choice must be made. The Collective Consciousness of the society must rise to inculcate a value system and a spirit of Nationalism among all. Also we must be taught not to be beggars i.e. those who ask of things. The youth must be taught to be self-reliant and having the quality to bestow upon the underprivileged. We must dis-encourage the attitude of “Victimhood” and instill faith and belief. Above all we must not ask what the country has done for us, instead we must ask what we can do for the country as such.


May the martyr Captain Pawan Kumar and all the other Shaheed Jawans be a guiding light to the people of India and particularly to the youth of this Nation.Shaheedonko Shat Shat Naman! Jai Hind!

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