It has been almost a year since Mumbai was attacked by 10 terrorists who tore through our lives and ravaged us. For most citizens of Mumbai, that attack was possibly the closest they ever came to confronting the dangers and the violence that men in uniform have to tackle every day. These are sons who come from remote villages, brothers who choose hard careers and fathers who don’t see their children 10 months in a year—in a good year.
My thoughts go back to 27 November, the second day of the attack, when National Security Guard commandos stormed into the Taj and Oberoi hotels. Like every Indian watching that scene, my heart swelled with pride. When India sent its best to take out the worst that our enemies could throw at us.
When I learnt what those commandos had to face and how they opened at least 500 rooms, fighting non-stop for 72 hours with no food or water, and neutralized every single one of the terrorists, without a single collateral damage—a feat that is unparalleled in counter-terrorist operations—I was proud to belong to the same country whose badge those soldiers wore on their uniforms. The deafening cheer of the crowds that saw them returning after the mission told me that I was not alone in that raw emotion of pride.
This is not just about the NSG though. It is about our forces battling in Jammu and Kashmir, in the North-East, in the searing deserts and freezing mountains. It is about troops who rush to the rescue during natural calamities, who make it possible to hold elections in midst of floods and Naxal violence. It is about young majors who leave behind widows and toddlers. It is about police constables who hold a blazing AK-47 barrel in their bare hands so that we can sleep well.
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Most people would not do that job for a million dollars. They do it for a lot less. So one year later, what have we done to reinforce support, admiration and gratitude to our troops in uniform? How have we shown that we are proud of them and wish that they will always be victorious? Sure, we could contribute to the funds raised for those who died and we have. We could watch a few programmes about cricketers visiting those troops and we have.
But a year later, we must realize that national security is no longer an issue we can be non-participative about. We need to put our skin into the game and prove beyond doubt that we stand behind our troops every inch of the way, just like they have stood between us and our enemies.
Many years ago, a general narrated this telling story about the Indian Peace-Keeping Force’s (IPKF) induction into Sri Lanka. The initial days of the mobilization were hurried and massive number of troops were being pushed in with minimal logistics. Soldiers were tasked to be prepared for combat on landing and carried several days of cooked meals on person. They were burdened with heavy equipment as they trudged towards the transport aircraft.