Living alone is an interesting state of being. One, I am forced to take care of the daily chores. And two, this enforcement gives me the privilege of experiences that would otherwise not be possible.
Collecting laundry at the end of the day, I overhear a conversation. Who brought India to freedom, who make better soldiers - Bengalis or Punjabis?
One gentleman fervently supported the brains of the Bengalis as the reason for them being better leaders. The other gentleman argued in favour of Punjabis because of their physical prowess. And a third gentleman, acting like the monkey between the warring cats, made a diplomatic case by stating that Bengalis gave the brains and the Punjabis used their strengths and both together fought wars.
Amidst all these arguments and counter-arguments, they forgot that who fought were Indians. And above all, they were human beings. But why blame these men alone? Haven't we all forgotten this small yet gigantic fact?
We didn't make the choice of being born a Hindu, a Muslim, a Jew, a Christian. Neither were we given the choice of the country, colour or race that we would be born to. But we were given the privilege of being born as human beings - apparently God's greatest creation. Are we?
With thinking brains and breathing souls each day we look for ways to create differences instead of bridging gaps. We sought ways of settling scores instead of making prayers.
I was recently watching No One Killed Jessica. Besides Rani Mukherjee's fervent use of abuses, there were two lines that stayed with me. Two soldiers being interviewed after the victory at Kargil War. One stated, "We kill by profession, not by choice." While the other confessed, "Chahe log humarein mare ya unke, afsos to hota hi hain." (Whether our people die or their's, it is always painful). Two lines of dialogue that seem extremely forgettable and yet they strike a cord of truth.
Do these soldiers choose to 'kill'? Is the pain any less in a Pakistani family than an Indian family when the dead body of a loved one arrives home wrapped in their flag? Are the tears different for a new bride, for a mother, for a child depending on their religion and caste?
Then what exactly were these men arguing about? Bengalis, Punjabis, Gujaratis did not bring us independence. Men and women with determination did. Those who joined Gandhi during the Dandi March, they did not follow a Gujarati; they followed a leader. Those who heard the call of Subhash Chandra Bose, heard the call of a revolutionary rather than a Bengali. When millions prayed for Bhagat Singh, the prayers were for a martyr and not a Sikh.
My grandfather served the nation. He was a flight engineer with the Indian Air Force. But never was he assigned to a mission because he was a Bengali; he was assigned to missions because he was a soldier.
