The Undying Spirit of a Soldier: Remembering the Brave Hearts of Kargil

 

The world has seen that we want peace. Now the world will see that to protect our peace we can use strength if necessary.

                                                 - Atal Bihari Vajpayee

When we see posts or reels on social media regarding national security, the general notion is the appraisal of the government’s quick decision making or proposing an action plan, but the efforts of those people, who are on field, doing their best to make that action plan a reality, go unnoticed. Today, let us appreciate and give recognition to those who fought to provide deterrence on such a grave adversary despite any circumstances, which, if not provided quick response on, would have led to one of the worst times of our nation.

The year was 1999, May 3^rd; Tashi Namgyal, a local shepherd, spotted a few armed men in the Batalik digging up bunkers. After informing the army it was evident that this wasn’t just an intrusion but a full-fledged invasion from the Pakistan Army in the Indian terrain. Within no time it was evident that not just Batalik, but more than 130 posts were occupied in the regions of Muskoh, Dras, and Akhsar. There was a single objective by the Pakistani Army: to block the national highway to cut off Kashmir from Ladakh; a direct breach of the 1972 Shimla Agreement, which stated not to violate the Line of Control.

As Pakistan initiated a covert invasion of Indian territory in the Kargil region, India had launched Operation Vijay in response. The war was characterized for its intense fighting in high-altitude conditions. Kargil, Batalik, Dras, Tiger's Hill and Pt. 5180, along with Pt. 4815 (now known as Batra Top), were the key locations that were to be recaptured.

Amidst the war, Vajpayee ji only had one rule: not crossing the LoC. It helped in showcasing India’s retaliation in a defensive position, making it a geopolitical win. The war also helped in regaining some amount of trust from countries such as America, Russia, etc. Despite such achievement, there was a setback: controlling the higher grounds of Dras, especially Tololing, also the coldest region to be ever inhabited, were captured by Pakistan. Many lives were lost to save the lives of millions.

On 14^th July PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee declared Operation Vijay to be a success, finally ending the war on 26^th July 1999. Later, in October, Pak PM Nawaz Shariff was detained, and Gen. Parvez Musharraf suspended the constitution, followed by the declaration of an emergency in our neighboring country. It was a huge victory for India.

Various movies have also been inspired by the Kargil war, such as Lakshya, LoC: Kargil, Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, Shershaah, Tango Charlie, Dhoop, and many more. Yet, many people still don't know what actually occurred during such a tense period and how serious its consequences would have been, if not prevented.

Many soldiers from the companies of Kargil missions still believe that those who martyred along the way were the luckiest ones; to die for such a noble cause is only in the fate of a few.  It reminds us when G.K. Chesterton said, “Soldiers do not fight because they hate what is in front of them. They fight because they love what is behind them.”

Civilians like you and I certainly could never fathom the intricacies of the planning, the bravery it takes to be in our armed forces. While on one hand, we try to appreciate their efforts to keep us safe, on the flip side we pass comments, slut shame a martyr's wife. Have we degraded to such a level? That's a question one should ponder upon. A war like Kargil should always be a reminder to us that the only reason we are able to act upon our conscience is due to these brave hearts giving up their own freedom, in order to protect ours.

The war not only helped in understanding India’s resilience but also showcased how powerful the spirit of brotherhood lies in our defence forces. Over time, we’ve seen various obstacles within and alongside the country’s borders, whether it be Uri, the Pulwama attack, infiltration by Chinese soldiers at Galwan Valley, rising Khalistan tensions, the death of Col. Vaibhav Kale in Gaza, or the recent nine terror attacks after elections along with the death of Capt. Anshuman Singh. Today, India’s security also comprises various upcoming factors, such as cyber security, and increasing concerns about internal security.

Amidst all these conflicts, one thing was common that made the country rise back patriotism. This patriotism was, has, and has always been the core of our defence forces. Despite numerous challenges and changes in the sphere of geopolitics with internal politics, one of the main reasons Bharat is still intact is because of such brave hearts, who are always ready to even give up their lives to protect our nation and uphold that peace.

Lest we forget.

-Rajashree Bhide 

गुरु: साक्षात् परब्रह्म!

 

गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुः 

गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः। 

गुरुः साक्षात् परब्रह्म 

तस्मै श्री गुरवे नमः॥

गुरु म्हणजे 'मार्गदर्शक' आणि पौर्णिमा म्हणजेच 'प्रकाश'. ज्या ज्या वेळी शिष्य हा अज्ञानाच्या अंधारात असतो, त्या त्या वेळी प्रकाशाच्या दिशेने त्याला उजागर करणारा मार्ग म्हणजे गुरूचे मार्गदर्शन. या ब्रह्मांडामध्ये गुरूची व्याख्या कुठेही कोरली गेली नाही. कारण आयुष्याच्या प्रत्येक टप्प्यात खऱ्या वाटेचे किंवा मार्गाचे दर्शन घडवणारा मार्गदर्शक हा गुरू असतो. 

प्राचीन भारतापासून ते आजच्या स्वतंत्र भारतापर्यंत गुरू - शिष्याचं नातं हे आजही तेवढंच अमर आहे. याच वैशिष्ट्यामुळे गुरुपौर्णिमा भारतात वर्षानुवर्षे साजरी केली जाते. गुरूची महती प्रत्येकाच्या जीवनात महत्वाची असते म्हणूनच लहानपणापासून 'आचार्य देवो भव' ही शिकवण दिली जाते. एक मार्गदर्शक अथवा गुरू हा देवाप्रमाणे असतो या शिकवणीमुळेच भारतात गुरुपौर्णिमा आजही प्रत्येक शिष्य श्रद्धापूर्वक साजरी करतो.

प्रत्येकाच्या आयुष्यात जन्मापासून मिळालेलं वरदान म्हणजेच साक्षात गुरू - रूपी आई असते. आपल्या जीवनाचे संगोपन करताना संस्कार, शिकवण, उच्चविचार,सद्बुद्धी तिच्याकडून प्राप्त होत असते. आई प्रमाणेच आपल्या आयुष्यात वडील आणि पुढे अनेक शिक्षक, मित्र व चांगली पुस्तके आपले गुरू होतात. खरं तर गुरू मिळणे हे तर भाग्याचे लक्षण समजले जाते.

प्राचीन भारतामध्ये ज्ञानप्राप्तीसाठी घराचा त्याग करून ब्रह्मचर्य, वानप्रस्थ, संन्यास अशा आश्रमात जाऊन गुरूकडून ज्ञानप्राप्ती करत असत. त्या काळातील सर्वश्रेष्ठ विद्येची ठिकाणे तक्षशीला, नालंदा ही होती. भारतात प्राचीन काळापासून गुरू शिष्य परंपरा आहे. कृष्णाचे गुरू सांदिपनी, अर्जुनाचे गुरू द्रोणाचार्य, द्रोणाचार्यांचे गुरू परशुराम, चंद्रगुप्ताचे गुरू चाणक्य, स्वामी विवेकानंदांचे गुरू रामकृष्ण परमहंस, छत्रपती शिवाजी महाराजांचे गुरू समर्थ रामदास, अनेक भिखुंचे तथागत गौतम बुद्ध, व आजही अनेक मुलींसाठी ज्ञानसरस्वती सावित्रीबाई फुले व अलीकडच्या काळातील सचिन तेंडुलकरांचे गुरू आचरेकर सर, ही गुरू शिष्याची जोडी देखील फार लोकप्रिय आहे.

महाभारतात पांडवांचा विजय होण्यामागचे कारण म्हणजे द्रोणाचार्यांचे मार्गदर्शन. चाणक्याच्या मार्गदर्शनाखाली मगधचा विस्तार करणारा राजा चंद्रगुप्त मौर्य, अशी कित्येक महान उदाहरणं भारत देशाच्या भूमीवर आजही अमर आहेत. 

संपूर्ण भारत देशाला लाभलेल्या या गुरु-शिष्याच्या वारश्यामुळे आज आपली भारतीय संस्कृती टिकून आहे. अनेक प्राचीन श्लोक आज आपल्या मुखोद्गत आहेत, कारण  इतिहासात सांगितल्याप्रमाणे, श्लोक, संस्कृती,परंपरा या सगळ्याचा वारसा एका गुरूकडून शिष्याकडे पोहोचला आहे.

गुरुपौर्णिमेच्या शुभेच्छा!!

-Ashwini Shende 

 

वारी माणुसकीची..! वारी एकतेची..! वारी प्रेमाची...!!!

आव मोठा, भाव खोटा 

   जनात- मनात 

   दुजा भाव कशासाठी

   तुझ्यात माझ्यात ,

   जनतेला घेऊनिया 

   जातो संग संग... 

   माणसात माणूस दिसता 

तोचि पांडुरंग.....

               खरंतर आषाढी एकादशी व वारी यांची सुरुवात कधी झाली? कशी झाली? याचं महत्त्व नेमकं काय? या सर्व प्रश्नांचा इतिहास खरंतर खूप मोठा आहे. पण मला वाटतं की या वरील ओळी या संदर्भात सर्वच काही व्यक्त करतात.. माणसांपासून माणूस दूर होत जाणाऱ्या आजच्या या समाजात, एखादी व्यक्ती प्रगती करताना त्याचा पाय खेचणाऱ्या आजच्या समाजात, माणुसकी हरवलेल्या आजच्या समाजात, थोडक्यात खोटे मुखवटे चढवून काळाच्या पटलावर चालणाऱ्या आजच्या याच समाजाला आषाढी एकादशी एक सुंदर उत्तर आहे असं मला वाटतं.

             लाखोंच्या संख्येने जेव्हा वारकरी संप्रदाय तहान- भूक- ऊन- पाऊस- थंडी या कशाचीच परवा न करता हातात झेंडे, निशाणी घेऊन, डोक्यावर तुळस घेऊन आणि ओठी फक्त 'हरि' नामाचा जप करत कोणताच भेदभाव न करता जेव्हा आपल्या पांडुरंगाचे तेजोमय रूप पाहण्यासाठी पंढरीची वाट धरतो तेव्हा खऱ्या अर्थाने जातीधर्माचे असंख्य बंधारे आपोआप तुटतात आणि प्रेमरूपी चंद्रभागेचं पाणी पांडुरंगाच्या पायाशी जाऊन पोहोचत आणि मग 28 युगं भक्तांच्या प्रेमापोटी विटेवर उभा राहिलेला माझा पांडुरंग सुद्धा सुखावतो...!

              आज या समाजात प्रत्येक क्षेत्रातच बऱ्याच गोष्टी पाहायला मिळतात. स्त्रियांवर होणारे अन्याय- अत्याचार, तृतीयपंथीयांच्या हक्कांची केली जाणारी गळचेपी, जातीनिहाय केले जाणारे राजकारण, आपापल्या जातीभोवती बांधल्या जाणाऱ्या भिंती, प्राणी- पक्षी- झाडे यांच्या केल्या जाणाऱ्या कत्तली, यांसारख्या गोष्टीमुळे समाज सर्व अर्थाने ढवळून निघाला आहे. एकमेकांबद्दलची वाढत जाणारी इर्ष्या असूया या गोष्टी वाढत चालल्या आहेत. संतश्रेष्ठ ज्ञानेश्वर आणि जगद्गुरु तुकोबा यांनी पसरवलेला मानवतेचा संदेश कुठे ना कुठेतरी आज संपतं आहे.पण तरीही..

              कोरोनाच्या काळात संपूर्ण जग ठप्प झालं असताना, संपूर्ण जग थांबल असताना, खऱ्या अर्थाने माणूस माणसापासून लांब होता तरीही एकत्र येऊन अनेक हातांनी या काळात दिवे लावले, हातात घंटा, टाळ घेऊन 'हम सब एक है' अशी हाक दिली त्यावेळेला ज्ञानेश्वरांची मानवतेची शिकवण पाहायला मिळाली.

          'खरा तो एकची धर्म जगाला प्रेम अर्पावे' या उक्तीची आपल्याला प्रचिती आषाढी एकादशीच्या वारीतून येते. सर्व संतांनी आपल्याला सर्व धर्म समभाव हा मंत्र सांगितला आणि मग या एकादशीपासून वारीपर्यंतचा प्रवास सुरू झाला असावा. हिच वारी वर्षांनुवर्षे चालत आहे न थकता, न थांबता, अशीच युगानुयुगे चालत राहील. जी मानवतेची असेल..एकतेची असेल.. प्रेमाची असेल....!

  हीच शिकवण लक्षात घेऊन समाजातले वाद- विवाद संपून प्रेमाची बीजे पेरली जातील तेव्हा खऱ्या अर्थाने प्रत्येक माणसाला पांडुरंग हा प्रत्येकामध्ये दिसायला लागेल आणि मग ही वारी माणसापासून माणसापर्यंतची असेल..!!

 -Shivam Jadhav

Leave no one behind, Count Everyone

Did you know? the infamous ongoing Rohingya crisis in Myanmar, the reports state that the 2014 census that occurred in Myanmar was a hogwash. It deliberately didn’t count the Rohingya community because they are a minority. Or In 1965, some southern states of the US purposefully under-counted the minority in their census. The African Americans faced difficulties in casting their vote despite the fifteenth Amendment which guarantees the right to vote on account of race, caste, color, religion, and previous condition of servitude. They were deliberately under-counted to prove their in-existence among the white people. The similarity between the above two examples was that these countries manipulated the population data, and the difference is that one of them is a developed country and another is a least developed country. Therefore, under-counting purposefully can happen in any country, which reminds me of the current year’s theme of World Population Day which is “Leave no one behind, count everyone.” 

Still, why is it so important to have an accurate census without any under-count? The answer to this question is very simple. If the population data is inaccurate, it would lead to an unequal distribution of resources. The government funding and services are allocated based on the population data it receives through the census. An under-count would lead these resources away from those marginalized communities. 

Additionally, accurate population data is important to plan public services such as schools, hospitals, and transportation. If the census is not taken, there’s a chance of insufficient allocation of these public services, plus an outdated census will indeed make it strenuous to measure progress on issues for example, poverty reduction, how many people got educated, common death reasons, etc. Moreover, a census is an extremely important need for minority groups and under-counted populations in order to have a fair number of representatives in the government so that policies can be implemented in their favor and according to their needs. Furthermore, when it comes to socioeconomic data like employment status, occupation, income level, housing conditions; demographic data like age, sex, marital status, education level, ethnic group; geographic data like migration patterns, population density, and place of residence, the census becomes an essential part for the development of the country. Therefore, it is our right as well as our duty to participate in the census and encourage people belonging to minorities to participate in the census. Taking a census helps identify emerging issues and track the effectiveness of policies, facilitates businesses to target marketing campaigns, and helps the government formulate better plans for the future. Can you imagine a country where resources are distributed equally, everyone has a say in the government, and the government has precise, future-oriented plans? A complete and accurate census is the first step towards achieving that goal.

-Soham Sonar