I was travelling back to my hometown from Mumbai. I rushed to the station and boarded the train barely a minute before the departure. I searched for my seat and sat on it with a sign of relief. There were two people sitting on the side lower berth. The train started and rattled down the station. The next halt was Thane station where a fair well groomed gentleman with a height of 6 feet entered our cabin. He sat on the seat in front of me. I got to know that the man was a Major in Army as he showed his identity card to the TC. We all got our tickets checked except a man sitting there. He pleaded the TC to let him sit as he was a regular traveller and he has to go to the second next station.As I am quite interested in the armed forces, so I initiated the conversation with him by asking some obvious question about his posting. The man without ticket was an activist and a loyalist of a political party as he talked much about his party and its so called welfare works. Soon the discussion took a new turn and the loyalist started talking about the compensations granted to the martyrs.
"Our government had very deep feelings for the martyrs and hence we allowed a compensation of 30 lakhs" ,the loyalis said.The Major turned his face and started looking out of the glass as it seemed he had something, but didn't want to say anything in this regard. The loyalist continued on with some more idiotic stuffs and showed his corroded intellect which he and his party members are well known to have.
"Our government allowed a compensation of 30 lakhs", he repeated,"though it is totally illogical to pay such a huge amount of money to a mere Sepoy which he would never earn in this whole life."
This was the time when the Major grew red and burst out with the anger which he was held since the idiotic man first spoke.
"Yes indeed", Major said controlling his fury which was dug deep in him,"Indeed, it is not fair to pay such a huge amount to the grief stricken family of a warrior who sought to die for his motherland instead of being at home and playing with his kids. Rather, such a huge amount of money should be utilized to add some more penny to the piled up in Swiss bank. Indeed them it will be called a perfect logical work. Isn't it?"
"Let me give you a fine example of your praise worthy government and its logical works", Major continued with the same anger and his furious red eyes,"It I an incident of Rajastan. An officer who was my senior martyred in a gunfight in J&K. He was an alumni of IMA and had been in NSG for 3 years and later in the 4th PARA regiment of Special Forces in Army. During an anti-infiltration operation, she got some bullet injuries and later died of his injuries in Delhi. His body was taken to his hometown. I was then a Captain and fortunately I happened to be there during his final rites. The Colonel, myself and my company were there. There was a huge crowd and their chatting filled the surrounding with an awkward buzzing sound. The family of the martyr was so grief stricken that I think they could hardly hear those buzzes. There were some politicians and minister present out there. The bureaucrats like DM, SP and some others with a sea of policemen were also present there to pay their homage not to the martyr but to those ministers. I could notice it as they were standing right behind the minister far away from the pyre. A moment later the minister came closer to the crowd and started promoting his party and explaining his party's future agendas. I sought permission from my commanding officer (the Colonel) to get their damn mouth shut up. But my officer refused and told me that we shouldn't do anything unless the family doesn't want.
After some more ridiculous speech the minister said,'"Shubash-Ji isn't here, why? What a kind of people are these. No sentiments only politics! I wonder how these people (the martyr's family) give vote for him. What will happen when you give to such a guy?"'
The father of the martyr stared the minister and tears slipped down from his eyes.
My officer quickly responded to it and asked me,'"Take your men and get these scums out of the scene immediately"'.
This was all what I was waiting for. I asked my lieutenant, JCOs and soldiers to proceed and clear the spot and quickly the soldiers sprung into action and started flushing the morons out the same as they do there in J&K. As I reached the minister, his bodyguards came in front to resist and the minister thought that his skinny bodyguards and his little powers would be able to tackle the Army. But after an acute argument, soon their excitement got pale when the soldiers pulled out their AKs with military grade 7.62 death rounds and they got back. The foolish minister moving away, threatened me of dire consequences for what I had done. The officials, however, didn't want to move a bit until my lieutenant explained the SP about the situation and the extent up to which he himself had authority to act.
'"Until the funerals aren't completed, the area as well as the family of the martyr is under our control. So better step out of the arena else you will get in trouble. I think you as a senior police officer you would be knowing it quite well about the extent which we can go"', the lieutenant replied firmly.
This was all what was enough for them to comply with the order. We took the area under control and the rituals stared. The pyre was lighted by the martyr's 3 years old daughter who didn't even know the meaning of death. She continually kept asking about the toys which his father was to bring for her.
So now, Mr logical, keep uttering and justifying your party's agendas, but better out of the bogie else it won't bother me much to show you my justifications."
The loyalist kept his face down, but there was a smell of retaliation in him which I could easily notice. But he couldn't afford to say a bit further as he knew of its consequences. A perfect silence spread in the air and soon I found the train rattling down a station. The loyalist took his handbag and got down the train as the train stopped.
A moment later when the tension shed and the situation became normal I resumed the talks, but on a different topic. I enjoyed talking to him on various topics.
But the thing which stuck my heard much was the story which he told.
Should this be the treatment with a man who proudly dies for his motherland?
Should his supreme sacrifice be weighed with money?
Can any amount return that 3 years girl's father?
These questions pierced deep inside my thought!
