What about the Indian soldier?

Virendra

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There is perhaps only one thing in the world, which if we lose, it adds to our debt - a soldier.

India is a coveted civilization with plenty of powerful, jealous enemies. Few even with contigious borders.
Thus the fact that our soldiers are our lifeline cannot be over emphasized.
But do we even realize that we as a cosy, safe society are in debt to stay so.
For those who do, know that the debt increases with every soldier who makes the supreme sacrifice
This debt is putting weight on our souls, it clutches our hearts and it pounds on our conscience.
We cannot bear this weight if bodies kept coming back in tricolor like this, when we're not even at war.
No healthy society should carry guilt and burden. Yet we walk past it, every day as if it is not our cost to incur.
So instead of shedding tears, gulping the anger and closing our moment of grief with an RIP, we will act.

If we don't care for our soldier, how long do you think he is going to care for us?
Time has come to stand up and stand united. We will raise our voice to question the status quo, to challenge the apathy that prevails.
As civilians, we will leverage the tools of democracy. We will ask of our MPs and our government what hasn't been asked of them for a long time now.
Who is going to save India's soldiers!!

As they say 'Journey of a thousand miles, starts with one step'. Lets take our first steps, ones that go beyond typing 'RIP' or lighting a candle.

We throw open this thread to discuss and soon reach a common draft of questions, concerns that we have over the situation.

Please add your questions, few vague ones to start with are:
1. Our security forces have lost 842 personnel between 2011 and 2015. They have already lost 29 personnel in less than two months of 2016. Their losses in Siachen stand at 879 till date.
For a country that is not at war, paying such a heavy cost is a worrying trend and unjustifiable in every manner.
2. <Presenting the actions of our enemies on ground and words in diplomacy, the hypocrisy written all over>
<Presenting the actions and words of our own Governments through these years, in relation to the threats we face>
Arguing that after so much has happened, there is still no coherent and consistent policy to deter our enemies from playing with the lives and patience of Indians.
3. Considering the constant pattern of proxy violence, even beyond that the unnecessary losses of life and limb. It has become imperative to ask what has been done so far to save the Indian soldiers.
I ask of what ways were explored to have the soldiers' protective gear beefed up.
Recent attacks by highly trained enemy units were very well planned, provisioned and executed.
Since it is clear that our enemies have changed tactics, have our forces' training needs been reviewed and met against the evolving dangers they face?
4. What were the new efforts made to diagnose and mitigate the environmental problems that our soldiers continue to face throughout the diverse Indian terrain (Siachen included)?
5. <Presenting examples of how in many countries the soldiers lives are not only preserved by all means, but are also celebrated, honored (Give examples like - Captain's announce of US marines travelling in civilian planes and passengers applaud their presence).
Ask why we shouldn't do the same.
6. When caste based reservation is dividing the entire society, is it not better to instead offer it to family of martyred soldiers?
7. What steps have been taken to reduce the time consumed in processing compensation to a martyrs family and reduce the number of pending cases?
8. What fresh measures have been taken to keep the soldiers on toughest deployment psychologically sound and motivated?

Plan is that each one of us will send the finalized letter of these questions, concerns to their respective MPs, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Home Affairs, Prime Minister of India, Media houses, prominent journalists etc.
For medium, I must lay stress on sending hardcopy via registered post etc (where you get delivery acknowledgment). This is because :
a) Most of our MPs are old school.
b) Nowadays too many emails, online petitions fly around and even dock on their inboxes.
c) Most of such emails are spam or perceived spam.
d) Many old school guys leave inbox management completely to sub-ordinates and thus chances of reaching the MP himself/herself reduce further.
e) Hardcopy communication lends more credence and seriousness to the matter/effort.
That being said, the same stuff can also be sent via email parallely. But dispatching one hardcopy is a must.

Wherever we share this letter over internet for propagation, an appeal also has to be made to everybody.
That the next time and every time we see our MP or a candidate for the same. We must ask them what he/she is doing for saving our soldiers.
What were the concrete actions they took so far or plan to take now. The questions that cannot be hand waived.
Every (good or bad) politician's radar picks the signals of what the voter pool is thinking and talking about. It then focuses its efforts in that direction.
Thus we must send our own signals and amplify them to grab their attention.

There are people shouting for tolerance, liberty and rights. There are people shouting on corruption, poverty, pollution and environment.
But nobody is raising in mainstream the issues of our soldiers. We have to take the mantle.

There is no promise that we'll achieve something tangible or great with one letter. But as I said above, a start it is. To send a message that India cares for its soldiers, that there are people who make them a decisive matter in vote; would be an achievement of its own.

Least of all, I can promise one thing that after we do this; we won't have the guilt of not giving it a shot, that we as citizen, as patriot Indians didn't try our best.
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I have one more suggestion (this one is more of a gesture than ground action).
If we lose a precious savior in the line of duty. We as DFI can send a letter/card to the grieved family and offer our condolences in appropriate words.
In addition to just words, the letter/card may have other things such photos of the soldier, a white flower or petals etc, short poems to honor the soldier's memory.
We have this forum via which we can come together and arrange all this.
It is easy to get de-sensitized, when mind numbing violence rains on us all the time on TV, Movies, News etc in daily lives.
We must not let that veil our perspective and conscience toward what the grieved families face.
Beyond the battlefield, there is a huge war that the family of ever martyr goes through. A war fought privately and mostly alone. A war with overwhelming emotions, deep pain and stark realities of life.
This personal gesture may perhaps let them know that we truly value their sacrifice and acknowledge our debt to them.
We can make this a DFI tradition. A tradition that we hope we'll have to follow less frequently than anything else.
It is my belief that if our families knew how much we cherish our soldiers, India will never fall short of true sons of the soil.

Both of these are developing ideas and open for suggestions, improvements.

It is best to hit when the iron is hot. Within 3 days we must reach one final draft on the MPs letter.
I might open another thread to proceed further on the second topic.
Lets get to work.

Regards,
Virendra
 
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bengalraider

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Not only the netas and beuracracy but even Army HQ itself is to blame. Where else would you find a force return 37,000crores of funds to the govt while critical purchase needs like BPJs and ballistic helmets lie pending.
 

Sakal Gharelu Ustad

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@Virendra -Isn't there an army quota in different school admissions?

Also, doesn't the soldier's nearest relative get a job in army if he gives up his life on duty?

I am pretty sure about first, but not second.
 

Bornubus

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@Virendra -Isn't there an army quota in different school admissions?

Also, doesn't the soldier's nearest relative get a job in army if he gives up his life on duty?

I am pretty sure about first, but not second.
No,this rule applie to State Police called "Ashrit quota".

There is no quota in army recruitment but there are separate vacancies for relatives.

As for martyrs their kids have to do physical and medical test like others but get some leniency in written exam.
 

Neil

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can we add..

the average time taken for a martyrs family to get compensation? and number of pending cases?
 

Virendra

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Added as 7th point.
Guys the points 1,2 and 5 are fill in the blanks i.e. need statistics. Can someone privy please do the honors.
That vigor and frustrated energy which we fire on social media; need it here instead.
Must break the habit of simply moving on, else we fall pray to the appetite of having martyrs.

I will add the content/link for postal address, email address of all MPs, media houses and the relevant ministries.

Regards,
Virendra
 

bengalraider

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Nothing new there mosques in Kashmir have always supported militants.
 

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