Param Vir Chakra: Title Song of Doordarshan Serial (Shaan Teri Kabhi Kam Na Ho) & Other Details

Found this very recently on YouTube. Many thanks to Amrinderpal for sharing this gem. The details of the song are:
Title Song: Shaan Teri Kabhi Kam Na Ho
Serial: Paramvir Chakra
Director/Producer : Chetan Anand

Brilliant memories came rushing back when i heard this song again. I remember the times when i used to sit glued to the television waiting for the episodes of this serial to come up. I became an avid watcher of Indian Armed forces after this serial was aired. There were times when my eyes were filled with tears on watching some of the episodes (I was very young then!!).

In fact i would request every Indian to at least read the basic facts about their Heroes who received The Param Vir Chakra - The highest military decoration in India awarded for the highest degree of valour or self-sacrifice. Read about 2nd Lt - Arun Khetrapal, Major Somnath Sharma, Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, Lance Naik Albert Ekka or the most recent Captain Vikram Batra (The guy whose war cry, "Yeh Dil Maange More" became the rallying cry of the Entire Nation during the Kargil War) and the rest of the Vir 21 and i promise you that you will be swept with emotion and patriotism.

Remember that most of these soldiers and officers gave their lives in making sure that we live with our heads held high. The least that we can do for them is give them our RESPECT...

Read Links:
1. Param Vir Chakra on Bharat Rakshak
2. Param Vir Chakra at Wikipedia

Plight of an Indian Soldier - Part II

DJ, who regularly comments on my blog articles had these incidents to narrate to me about why it sometimes feels that Indians in general and the bureaucracy specifically does not care about our Armed Forces. The best that we do is give 'Lip Service' about how they are the pride of our eyes, and even this comes out only in the week when we find that some of our bravest men have laid down their lives for OUR FREEDOM & SECURITY...then its back to a Normal Life and I don't care a damn attitude....

Shall we call it an Indian Shame?

Date: 2 Oct 09, Scene: Flood relief activities (Karnataka, India)

1. Mr X in the Administration gets a call to help the Indian Air Force. It's 10 pm, His Son offers to drive to the Air Force base. Mr X needs more assistance. So he calls his senior officer. He says he's drunk and can't help!! (I find him useless at his job in the administration department. I got an alternative career plan for him; graze donkeys). With limited resources they managed to do a good job. We return home at 3 am. Next day, Mr X asks a subordinate to stay back late night to work with the armed forces. The uxorious moron says his wife has asked him to get back home by 6 in the evening; they got to attend a wedding reception. And he promptly leaves at 4!! (why not become a 'house-husband'??)

2. And while the army was at Bijapur, helping the victims, the district administration made no arrangements for their food! The apathy of the administration is baffling. The few in the administration who worked for relief hardly slept in days. The others always slept. I wished water flooded the houses of the apathetic officers 'neck-deep' and they were stranded without food, sanitation,sleep ...for days and were afflicted by the diseases the flood-hit people feared...(I know, I couldn't have got more evil.. but...). The armed forces provided every possible aid, as they always do. When they need help from the civil services, it's really sad that the administration shirks from its responsibility.

3. Later, an Air Force personnel was telling Mr X that his baggage was stolen by a civilian driver assisting them...How sick can it get!

4. A captain who had broken his leg (while playing basket ball) told me that the medical facilities provided by the government were abysmal. He had to take a transfer to private hospital.

Someone who would not think before laying down his life to save you, deserves much better...

Thanks DJ for sharing these thoughts
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Earlier Article - Plight of an Indian Soldier

Tribute to the martyrs

NDTV's tribute to the martyrs in the NSG, Police and Army who gave their life to protect us...

The background track is from the film Aamir...."Ek lau kyun bujhi mere Maula"

Please click on this Link: Tribute to the martyrs

Plight of an Indian Soldier

There are just some things which make me feel so mad sometimes. Take for example the apathy that people show to Indian soldiers after they have completed years of duty in keeping us citizens safe. I feel everyone is equally responsible for this mess. The Indian government, the Indian armed forces and most importantly, the Indian People at large. Why is it that people talk about a very big divide between Civilian and Military life. Why is it that the seamless integration is not possible.

I will just recount a story here. In our apartment complex, we had a guard called Joseph for a month when i had shifted recently. The first day when he spoke to me, i was stunned. That guy was so fluent in the English Language that it was odd from the word go. He asked me about where i am from and all the other merry weather questions and then apologized for being inquisitive....inquisitive...I was stunned!!

I then found out that he was a security guard now but earlier he had been a Indian navy petty officer. Its just that he did not have any money after retirement to feed his wife, he had to take up this job where he felt so humiliated saluting some arbit people living in the apartment instead of the Indian Flag and his beloved Navy personnel. He looked as if the weight of the entire earth was on him. He looked much much older than he actually was. My heart went out to him when he talked about "having a job just to keep the pot boiling" and i felt so helpless. If i give this man just money wouldn't it be like treating him like a beggar and taking away any self respect that is left.

Why does it have to be like this. Why can people respect the fact that a person who has served his entire life with so much distinction his entire life has to live his last few years like he is the most unwanted piece in society. Why cant we have support structures for this kind of a problem. After all Joseph cant be the only one facing this problem in a Military of close to 1.5 Million Soldiers.

They deserve to be respected...

The Bravest of the Brave

Have you ever felt yourself shiver when you read about a persons achievement that is so great that you are made to look as insignificant as a box of nothing and at the same time feel so proud that your heart is happy to the core and then again in the same instance feel so ashamed that you don't know where to look......Maybe even i dont understand the complete magnitude of feelings inside me but then it doesnt matter.

It is not about me at all, it is all about the Valour, the Courage, the Greatness of a Man/Hero known as Chuni Lal - amongst the most highly decorated soldiers of the Indian Army - and 8 J&K Light Infantry - The most decorated Battalion of the Indian Army led by Naib Subedar Bana Singh, one of India's greatest living heroes, who himself has won the Param Vir Chakra. Sadly the man is never going to set foot with us mortals again but then his place was always reserved somewhere else, somewhere a normal human only dreams of going after life is over.

Sir, you have made us all proud that you were an Indian and because of you and the efforts of your battalion, we can walk with our heads held high.

To know what i am talking about, read on.....(http://specials.rediff.com/news/2008/feb/05heroesld1.htm)