Unknown, Unheard, Unsung!

Long time ago, a journalist who visited one of the forward and difficult frontiers concluded his article on the troops deployed there with these words:

“These are the real heroes – unknown, unheard, unsung!”

The debate is not about why the nation must remember its heroes. It is about character. Patriotism is also an attribute of character that reflects in the actions of a country. A few hundred thousand troops singing the glory of the nation does not make the nation patriotic. It is the billions of citizens’ faith in their own nation and their actions guided by such faith that makes the nation patriotic.

Many a times we discuss the actions of certain powers in the world stage and tend to brand them as ‘pushy’ ‘self centered’ or even ‘open display of their might’. If we sit down and analyse we will find that they are actually motivated not by the desire to bulldoze another country, but to uphold their national interest (sometimes, at all cost!). Patent actions such as these are actual display of ‘patriotism’ by a country. There will be costs to bear. But then, the nation does what it is convinced that it must do. Courage of conviction is not merely a praiseworthy attribute of an individual, it is the touch stone by which strong nations and weaklings are marked out. The size of the country actually has nothing to do with its courage of conviction. Even historically, it is David who fell Goliath!

Anyway, today’s scribble was to be about one of the most solemn tributes that has ever been paid to the Indian soldier in a battlefield that hardly few would know – battle of the Mishmi plains (Namti plain), 1962. The poem inscribed in the simple marble plaque was written by Bernard S Dougal, who was the Deputy Commissioner at that time. What a patriotic civil servant he must have been!

The sentinel hills

That around us stand
Bear witness that

We loved our land.

Amidst shattered rock

And flaming pines,
We fought and died

On Namti plains.

O Lohit, gently by us glide,
Pale stars above softly shine,

As we sleep here

In Sun and rain

        - Bernard S Dougal

Our salute to the gallant men of the Sikh, Dogra and Garwal platoons who defended the Lohit with their lives!

In case interested, for more details on the battle and monument, check out the following links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walong

http://bhavanajagat.com/tag/mishmi-tribes/