Ayushman Jamwal
It takes a special kind of dedication to duty to protect those who hate you. It takes great courage and determination to battle terror while facing abuse and a hail of stones from those you have sworn to defend. It is a challenging job to shield your comrades from death and yet be charged with a crime. It takes an indomitable spirit to bury your brethren, and continue to serve your nation in an unforgiving land. Yet such is the character and endless struggle of the Indian soldier in the Kashmir valley.
It may be sad, but a timeless truth of the human condition that our most profound realities come to light only at the edge of oblivion. As terrorists spread chaos in the valley, those who have died defending it are boys from Jammu and Kashmir, one state but two regions divided by language, religion and politics. The divide is the baseline of the Kashmiri nationalist narrative and the politicking that has dominated the chaotic state, but has emerged as meaningless under the banner of the Indian army in the pursuit of the defence of the realm.
Subedar Madan Lal from Kathua in Jammu, Subedar Mohammad Ashraf Mir and Habibullah Qureshi from Kupwara in Kashmir, Naik Manzoor Ahmad and Lance Naik Mohammad Iqbal from Pulwama in Kashmir, all died fighting terrorists in Sunjuwan. Everyday, young men from both regions and across the nation also stand united to stand guard at the Line of Control, being Indian their only article of faith.
The spirit of their duty extends even beyond the inception of the state of Jammu and Kashmir to the first invasion by Pakistan months after the independence of India. In 1947, a lone commander from Jammu, Brigadier Rajinder Singh Jamwal led a band of 100 troops to defend the Kashmir valley from a marauding force of Pakistani soldiers and tribals. The Brigadier died defending Kashmir stalling the advance of the Pakistani force allowing the princely state to accede to the Indian union. Brigadier Rajinder Singh Jamwal was posthumously awarded the first Mahavir Chakra of independent India and till this day his bravery is reflected in the actions of the young braves of Jammu and Kashmir who unite to defend the tricolour.
We grieve over the loss of our warriors, yet their courage sustains our faith in the ‘Idea of India’. Their service is a challenge to the toxic cocktail of religion and nationalism, and gives a great glimmer of the truth that there is unity in the hearts of those the politics tries to divide. It also beautifully exemplifies how the armed forces weaves the diversity of India into a national force. Soldiers fight for their homes and families, but also for each other, love emanating from years of training, living, sharing and fighting side by side. Youths from different castes, creeds, regions and faiths have only to prove the content of their character when serving the country.
From fighting terror, to defending borders to protecting citizens from the forces of nature, our brave jawans exemplify the durability of that ethos beyond the fickle flux of politics and media narratives. They embody the India we must all aspire for, one we must all fight for.
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