Opinion | Veer Naris too are from the same family! ‘The family of greats who fought for the Nation!

By M S Nazki

I did not and never knew what I could do and when I did it I came to know what I was capable of!

-‘Perhaps this was the salutation that the lady Nayanjyot Aujla wanted to give the Veer Naris of the Indian Army! She is the wife of Lt . General ADS Aujla GOC 15 Corps!

-‘Sorry guys as usual and great ladies extremely, I’m late on this story but trust me the treatment I will give will have its own kind of fragrance!’

-‘Some stories do not die and most of them are of soldiers and their wives! These wives are the ones who make soldiers both loveable and versatile! Versatility comes into focus when a blizzard of bullets heads towards the advancing troops and it’s the enemy who uses that sly ploy!’

-‘The chapter love is talked about when soldiers go out of the way to make sure that after country it are the people who ought to be safeguarded! The last is of self and his own family!’

-‘The Veer Naris know that and so do their children’!

-‘Ever since I came out of my Olive Greens two decades back plus two years, could be more or less, I got back into the profession and that was all about reading and writing! Initially the people did not like my writings and the reason was vocab! As a rigid man, I said fine, but I did not come to the standard ten lingo (which almost all my newspaper and periodical bosses wanted me to write! I went several notches higher!’

I was just going through various Tweets furnished from the Chinar Corps. The first one I read was ‘the Tricolour unfurled all across the Mountain passes and Valleys to celebrate the festival of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

Yes this year is special and in fact very! Kashmir was always a tricky place, LOC and LAC were trickier and then the insurgency the trickies! It was 15 Corps that went on to perform one miracle after the another and Lo! The situation has plateaued! People have realized that it is only the Indian Army who coud have shaped their future! They did it with, grace, charm and at times mild ferocity! Mild because if a bullet comes towards you one has to for the trigger!

The family (Indian Army) lost men who faded into glory, now perhaps smiling from the skies as new generation keeps joining the massive family! Though those who faded away and for whom the bells toll every year on some or the other Battle Honour Day are still with us but yet they are not’ But pictures clicked in an adventurous moods does get us back to them!’

‘Veer Naris too are from the same family! ‘The family of greats who fought for the Nation!’ And made it look so easy as if death gin they had kept up their fist cuffs!’ They were born to be immortal!

-‘At times we relax in our comfort zone, and it takes leadership to recognize this and adjust our mindset. Think that was the message exact which Mrs. Nayan Jyot was conveying at the impressive award distribution ceremony!’

-‘Neither my friend MSN was there and nor was I but when I saw the impressive collage of pictures I knew we both had to do!’ And this is what we did!

-‘I had a news item with me but I needed more and then I was to read the tweets. One single line is enough to make a story. That is precisely what we did! Bhadarkoot festival in unexplored meadows of Bhaderkoot, Tanmarg was celebrated with pageantry and grandeur by 2 Rashtriya Rifles Battalion of Indian Army under the aegis of Kilo force in collaboration with Department of Tourism J&K. The aim of this festival was to promote & boost local culture and project the area on to the tourism map of the country. The festival was conducted over two days, commencing on 27 Aug and culminating with a grand finale on 28 Aug. The festival was inaugurated by Shri PK Pole, Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir in the presence of Director Tourism, officials of Civil Administration , Police, local population and tourists. Speaking on the occasion, he highlighted that the number of tourists in the valley has increased. Efforts of the civil administration and the Army to map the unexplored destinations is a welcome step. Such activities would definitely boost the local economy and employment opportunities in the region. The activities commenced with traditional folk dance performance. The art and culture of Kashmir valley was in full display. The audience enjoyed the Rouft dance, other folk dances and musical performances by local artist and those invited from outside. The festival also hosted famous Bollywood star and singers like Rajpal Yadav and display of Martial arts and Taekwondo by school children kept the audience spellbound. One of the highlights was the horse and ATV racing, where the tourists participated in great numbers. Audience was treated with local dances, music concerts, Gazals and live Karaoke singing. Towards the end the Veer Naris of the area were felicitated by Ms Hina Shafi Bhatt, Vice Chairperson of KVIB. The festival well certainly boost the tourism potential of unexplored destination like Bhaderkoot and attract local and domestic tourists.’ This is a new beginning and  this all falls into the lap 15 Corps’!

-‘But the bigger news item is in the wait and it was this’-

-Mrs. Nayanjyot Aujla, Zonal President , AWWA Chinar Corps felicitated Veer Naris, presented Polaris award for excellence to families, Covid Warriors  and Ward Sahayika on the occasion of 56th AWWA Day celebrations at BB Cantt, Srinagar.Kashmir NariShakti was the theme!’

– The AIM of AWWA (Army Wives Welfare Association is simple:  The aim of the AWWA, is to support and enhance the official welfare efforts within the army, focusing especially on the welfare of families, children and widows of all ranks and retired personnel of the army and also to take active part in the activation of central and state government;s in their efforts towards national reconstruction aimed at improving the living conditions of rural poor amongst the above category of persons and protecting the human rights violation of the army personnel and their families.

-The objectives are bigger:  Reaching out to the widows and helping them establish themselves. Rehabilitation of battle casualties.  Running a special school for handicapped children of army personal. Provide vocational training to families.  Award scholarship to meritorious and needy children.  Mother and child care.  Welfare of patients in hospital.  Family Health and Hygiene.  Family support  and counselling programmes.  Relief and rehabilitation of widows and children.  Promotion of human rights of army personnel  and their families.

I will finish this one with a small little incident which went something like this: ‘She knew for that moment that she had lost everything! Just a picture of her husband was on the table and she was profusely weeping. She did not know what to do when her mother-in-law  put her right hand on her left shoulder and just told he one thing in one single line, ‘I was perhaps six years elder to you when his father died! I was crestfallen. I did not know what to do but there was a family standing behind me! Now the same tragedy you have undergone but remember it is the same family behind you! Maybe the faces have changed but the spirit is the same, perhaps a several notches up! Lucky still smiles but never remarries! That is what Indian Army Veer Nari is all about’!