Who Listens Lachhaman Singh?

 I read a heart-rending story of a father of martyred Jawan of Indian Army, in the ‘Indian People’s Congress’ being edited and managed by the Supreme Court Advocate Shreepal Singh and written by Wing Comdr Venky Aiyer. He says that I informed Lachhaman Singh Rathore “Deeply regret to inform that your son Flying Officer Vikram Singh lost his life in a flying accident early this morning. Death was instantaneous.”

      He was brought by a helicopter and we all received the frail old man of nearly 80 years. He was in immaculate Dhoti. We helped him alight and then he asked me after getting down from the helicopter, “are you Venky?”  I said yes sir, The distraught father took me to some paces away and told me that 'you have lost your friend but I have lost my son, you tell me what do I have to do? My only desire is to meet his friends and spend the whole night in the room where he was sleeping and the next morning I will go to my place'. We did what he asked us to do. He told us that he has sired three sons. The first son was killed in the war against China, the second son was killed in the war against Pakistan and I insisted my third son to join the army. He has also laid down his life for the sake of the country. While Narrating his story Lachhman Singh Rathor was calm and composed I could see that he was braver than all of us. While reading this story eyes well up with tears. 

     Here is a Lachhman Singh who has lost all his sons and whose grandchildren are living without the affection of their fathers and whose daughters’ in law have lost their husbands, yet he did not show any sign of any weakness.

      On the other hand, see the contrast. Our judiciary is more concerned about the human rights of goondas, mercenaries and stone pelters. A few days back when some people lodged an FIR against a major for opening up of fire on the mercenaries which resulted into the death of two of them, The Supreme court stayed the action on the Fir and issued notices to the government and the people who pelted stones. 

    The Jawans who are defending the country in most hostile circumstances are expected to respect the human rights of those who are attacking them. Is it not shocking that we give respect to a Jawan who is killed and whose body is brought wrapped in tri colours but when he fires shots for defending the country he is brought in the docks in the name of human rights? We expected that the Supreme Court would order the state government to round up all mercenaries and try them for pelting stones on the Jawans but here we find that the Jawan is being hauled up for violating the human rights. See the contrast between China and India or America and India in dealing with the terrorist.  In China and America, security forces have been given free hand to deal with the terrorist and no question is asked but here a Jawan has to fear a terrorist on the one side and human rightists of our own country on the other side.

     His life is perched between the devil and deep sea