Just a few days back I had an
opportunity to participate in a face to face meeting with a British author. It
was a small group of people and a lovely set up for close interactions. He
wanted to know more about India and generally seeking an opinion on what’s
happening on youth front.
One of the participants went off
like a rocket. He was responsible for hiring talent from campus for one of the
big companies. “Things have changed and all the young people just look for
money – there is not much you can do about it”. Such rhetoric generally puts me
off. My mind drifted a few months back while I drove to Leh from Pune along
with my family …..
The road from Srinagar to Kargil
was a memorable one and also the most difficult terrain to drive once you go
past Sonmarg. We stopped over at Captain Batra point. Captain Batra was a brave
young Indian army officer who fought fearlessly till the end. He inspired many
by his martyrdom during the Kargil war. He was in his twenties …..
…. We also visited Dras war
memorial on the way. It was an experience I will never ever forget in my life ….
The enemy had captured the area around Tiger Hills by deceit …. When you look
at the terrain your jaw drops …. Enemy sat on the top of those barren hills and
attacked relentlessly. Scores of Indian Army soldiers led by their young
officers marched up in face of heavy shelling to capture the area back for the
motherland …. Against the backdrop of Tololing hills, stands the memorial - names
of scores of martyrs are inscribed on the wall …. It’s a long list and they
were mostly in their twenties ……. Memorial has photos of these war heroes where
I came across a quote “When you go back
tell them, that we gave up our today for your tomorrow” I wept uncontrollably ……
In the Leh memorial, we came
across a letter written by young captain Vijayant Thapar to his family. The
first line read – “By the time you get this letter, I will be in the heaven
served by Apsaras” He was 22 and he knew his fate ……
We had the honor of having dinner
with the brave-heart officers and their wives. These were young smiling lads ….
Came across a couple who were married just few months back … there were also a
few young boys who were in early twenties … all of them were getting ready to
spend one year at glaciers (in -60 C temp) away from their families ……
These are example of young men in
modern times. To paint a picture that today’s youth is only bothered with money
is callous. There are many young boys and girls who are ready to rise to a
purpose higher than materialistic gains – the question is - do the so called
seniors have an ability to create an environment where the youth can see a
higher purpose!
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