The Hollow Tributes!!

Lt. Kalia, Capt. Batra, Capt. Chaudhary, Major Unnikrishnan, and more. Do you know these names? Yup, you should be. We know them by their deeds, heard their names a billion times when they sacrificed their lives at their respective time period. We called them heroes. We constructed roads after their names and villages, and streets. We signed petitions so that the government can demand justifications from Pakistan about the soldiers who were inhumanly treated before they were killed. Many of us, created communities in their names to pay our tributes and 1000s joined in. We pledged never to forget them, debated and cursed everyone around us. A few months later, these communities appear deserted. Once in a blue moon we see a new thread that is yet another tribute to a hero.

I am back from a community that is dedicated to a hero of 26/11. As per one of the threads, today is the day when Bhagat Singh and his friends were hanged. To be honest, I never knew about the importance of today’s date. The thread starter invited members to pay their tributes to these heroes. Tragic isn’t it? Some news channel may cover a news item stating “the country paid their tributes to the heroes.” Yeah right!!

Four soldiers died during the fierce gun battle in J&K and somebody just started a thread “pay your tributes here” as if “park your car here.” After a day when the thread starter revisited his thread he was astonished to see that no one cared to pay their tributes. He tried to wake up the community but alas the thread has not grown much since yesterday. Since last year, we have lost countless soldiers that we are now habitual about it. Losing a soldier is unlike to winning the Oscars.

Just in case you are not aware, in Pune there is a ‘Rishi Dhar Chowk’ that connects Bermen chowk, Parhiar chowk, and Aundh Gaon. The ‘Rishi Dhar Chowk’ is dedicated to late Second Lieutenant Rishi Malhotra who died during an anti-militancy operation in May 1994 in Doda, Jammu and Kashmir. Strange!! I have been crossing that chowk for donkey years now. Incidentally, the shuttle that I take to reach my office, stopped at the signal and I read about the officer.

Ever seen the extreme side of blind faith and respect? How this soldier becomes GOD? Blind respect/love or just carried away emotions? Till now, you did not he existed, then something happened and he died. You started a community in his name. His going away impacts you in some small way and you vow to change the world. Now that he is your hero, you refuse to hear anything negative about him or his family.

Think about this, how many chowks in your city are named after martyr soldiers? You must have passed thousand times over that chowk, but did you ever care to notice the plaque? I believe, real tribute is just not about creating communities or vowing to remember the departed soul or debating, accusing, and abusing the other countries. Think about it!!