Co-Written by Lohith Chiluka and Sujana Bora
Any battle you think of has sides to it, those who win and those who lose, but here the side that we never considered. The side of sacrifice, pain, and honour. The side that is often forgotten. The side, that chooses to protect us, over themselves.
Wars have been fought for hundreds of years now, yet we claim that society has evolved. That ideals and principles are the rays of light that guide us towards the state of utopia that we aspire to achieve. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness to be precise. Yet, more often than not, a certain section of society goes by neither noticed or at times, not even recognized.
'Thank you for your service!'. Words that have been uttered a number of times acknowledging the sacrifices that these men and women make, to defend those who simply can't defend themselves.
Are these words merely sentiments of expression or do they really have substance within them? Are we really thankful to these soldiers who put their own life on the line, just so that we wouldn't have to, or are those mere words?
Veterans, brave men and women, who fought the wars that they didn't have to, the question of whether or not they would return home, alive and well, or be sent home in a casket or an urn, looming over their heads.
These wars often differ as to how they occur. From being on the borderlines to the recent times, being in front lines of a hospital. But the sacrifice doesn't change. The loss of losing a colleague and friend is equally and inevitably painful. And the fear of uncertainty is a challenge. Yet they swallow their misery and keep themselves steady and fixed through and through, all for their duty to their country, their duty to us.
There is the abstract from a famous poem,
Forward, the Light Brigade!”
Was there a man dismayed?
Not though the soldier knew
Someone had blundered.
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die.
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
~Alfred, Lord Tennyson
These soldiers wade into wars, based on policies made by men behind closed doors.
They become a number, to be used as and when required by the 'higher-ups' and yet we hear no complaints. They're the ones who experience the magnitude of damage as we call it.
In those seldom, blessed situations that they do return home, do they really fit directly into society again? Can they go back into a daily routine after the amassed horrors that they witnessed? These men and women often fall short of living an actual life, due to the absence of someone or something to help reintegrate them into society. They find it difficult to find work, difficult to socialize, difficult to fall asleep at night without waking up to the sound of gunfire.
An equally bigger sacrifice is made by the families of these soldiers that stand strong in the uncertainty of their return. For whom, seeing their sons/daughters/mother/father/spouse is a blessing that cannot be fathomed.
To maintain the sanctity of their bravery and the need to continue with their comparatively normal livelihoods covers the eternal pain that they feel as they need to personify bravery. It's a responsibility that never ends.
Isn't it time we give meaning to the words, 'Thank you for your service'. Maybe it's time, that each one of us, take it upon ourselves, to do the unspoken deed, and contribute to the reintegration of these veterans of war, back into society.
Programs have been set up, but they are barely enough. Spread awareness, help protect those, who gave up so much of their life, protecting us. And more than anything, show gratitude.
Gratitude for these brave men and women that allow you your sleep knowing that everything is just alright.
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