“Just wonderful! Memorable.”
“Transcending all caste and creed distinction, their guest is
really sacred to them. Like god. Can we ever forget Abbas
Ali?
“Never.”
He was a poor washerman but rich in human values.
Unlettered but endowed with rustic wisdom. Well-
mannered and well behaved. In his mind, he made it a point
to welcome Heera Lal's guest. It would be an insult to the
entire village if the guests were not properly received. Now
they were his own guests.”
They then get in touch with Sidhartha's sister, Ranjani, the
widow of a martyr in the Kargil war. Musings on the unfair
treatment meted to military personnel in our country.
And we call them martyrs! Is martyrdom their goal? No,
certainly not. Like rest of others they get jobs there. They do
their duty honestly. And nation comes first in their job. They
too love life and cherish dreams. They too like to love and to
be loved. They feel heat and cold. They care for their
families. And we! Have we discharged our duty to them?
Perhaps not. Our memory is too feeble. Out of sight, out of
mind, isn’t it? Many families of these martyrs are
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