Two
years ago, me and my parents, we found ourselves in a situation, escaping unscathed from which seemed next to impossible, let alone escaping alive. It was
the devastating Kashmir floods of 2014. We were among the many people affected
by the incessant rains and subsequent floods in Jammu and Kashmir in the year
of 2014. Many days passed without food or water or a place to stay, and we had
lost that crucial factor that keeps one going at times of distress – “hope”. We
had lost all our hopes of making it back to our home alive, when we first saw
that ray of hope and it came in the form of men clad in a uniform that we had
associated with the “Indian Army”. My concept of God till that day had been
very simple; I believed that the goodness in me was my God. When I had to give
a face to that belief, the picture of my parents were the first to come to my
mind. To me they personified goodness; their love and concern for me, I knew
was unconditional, without any expectations. But then I met a group of people,
whose love and concern for their fellow beings who were total strangers to them
was so unconditional, I felt that they were too good to be real. Never before
had I come across a group of people who were so selfless, so dedicated to
serving people, that they would happily sacrifice themselves for the sake of
the nation and its people. They were the officers of the Indian Army and the
Indian Air Force. Now, if I had to put a face to the belief that is ‘God’, the
faces of these officers are also sure to make their way into my mind as their
selflessness is something that is out of the world.
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| Picture courtesy: timesofindia.indiatimes.com |
I
still remember how the news of the Indian Army being deployed to rescue the
people affected by the floods in Kashmir brought hope to the hundreds of us who
were stranded and badly in need of help. We had only heard about the valour and
courage of our soldiers, their stories of success in every task assigned to
them, however we got a chance to see that for real and I would say we were
among the very fortunate to have had that opportunity, because it was an
experience that bought about a sea change in all of us, in terms of our
attitude towards life, our attitude towards our duties as responsible citizens,
and most importantly about how life should be lived. Of what use is this life,
if it is not for the benefit of those around us? It is something which I have
kept asking myself ever since my experience during the Kashmir floods and the
main trigger for it had been these officers and their selfless attitude.
From
the moment the Indian Army and Indian Air Force arrived to our rescue, we knew
we were in safe hands. The way the officers co-ordinated and planned the evacuation
of all stranded people from the flood relief camp still makes me wonder as to
how someone can think and act in a calm and composed manner given the
circumstances that they were working in – a total loss of communication
networks, chaos created by a mob that was desperate to get back to safety, limited
supply of food, water, fuel and manpower, a total breakdown of all road links
to name a few. Common men would have fallen apart in a situation like that, but
then the officers were no common men, from the first time that we saw the men
in action, we knew there was something special in them. Imagine not been able
to contact your near and dear ones for days on end, but still keeping a straight
face and consoling other people, instilling hope in them that they will make it
through these tough times, working day in and day out without any complaints,
most of the Army officials in our camp had not been able to contact their families,
however they were working round the clock to ensure that we get back to our
homes safe and sound. The only way out of the flood affected area was by air
and the Indian Air Force was operating helicopters till late in the night to
evacuate maximum number of people from the camp and to bring us food and water.
The next day morning even before we woke up, they would commence their work for
the day. We were mostly awakened by the sound of the approaching helicopters
only.
The
efforts of the men in uniform paid off; hundreds of us who were stranded were
airlifted in a matter of days and we all returned home safe and sound.
Sometimes, when I look back, I think about what would have happened to us had
it not been for these officers, would we have made it back alive?
Ever
since I returned from Jammu and Kashmir after that near death experience, I
have been more appreciative of life. Every day since then, used to end with a
prayer – a prayer to thank all those men in uniform who bought us food and water
when we were in the camp, all those who kept vigil as we slept, all those who
instilled hope in us when we felt that all was lost, all those who helped us reach
home safely. I used to pray to God to give me one opportunity to do something
similar to what the Indian Army officers did for me, for someone around me. I
knew that I would never be able to hold a candle to the Indian Army officers
and jawans, but I hoped that someday I could also do something in my own small
way to make a difference in the life of another person.
Two
years later, I did get that opportunity after I got selected as an Officer with
one of the leading Oil Marketing Companies in the country. I was among the
group of officers, whom I would like to call “God’s chosen few”, who got a
chance to be a part of the ‘Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana’ – a prestigious initiative
of our beloved Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, that aims to eradicate smoke
from every kitchen in India, by providing free gas connections to women from
below poverty line households. I know that I can never match the acts of our brave
army men, however whenever I feel that I am making a difference in the life of
someone through my work, I feel that I am saying thanks to them in a small way
and I have a lot to thank them for – for giving me this life that I am leading
now and for teaching me that a life in the service of others is a life well
lived.
This
Diwali, Modiji has advised the nation to send their greetings to the officers
and jawans of Indian Army through the ‘Sandesh2Soldiers’ campaign. As someone
who owes her life to the Indian Army and Indian Air Force, I thought I would
dedicate this blog to all the men in uniform who have dedicated their entire
life to this nation. This is my message to all the soldiers, jawans and
officers of the Indian Armed Forces –“You are truly an inspiration for me. You
have not only given me a new lease of life, but also given me a new way of
living life – a life in the service of the nation and its people. You are our
saviours and we, the people of this country would run out of words trying to
thank you or appreciate you for what you’ve done for us. You and your families
will always be there in our prayers. Be ensured that Victory will always be
yours as you have a billion hearts praying for you. Here is wishing you and
your families a very happy and prosperous Diwali. May you continue to inspire
the generations to come, may you continue to make us proud. Jai Hind.”
