DISTRICT COLLECTOR OF KRISHNAGIRI; UNTRAINED OR IGNORANT?
Lt Gen P G Kamath
Veteran General Indian Army , Motivational Speaker, Leadership Development Specialist and Defense Analyst
DISTRICT COLLECTOR OF KRISHNAGIRI; UNTRAINED OR IGNORANT??
By?
Lt Gen PG Kamath (Veteran)?
A few days before, I was telephonically invited to the “Kargil Day Memorial Service’ on 28 Jul 2024 at Krishnagiri in Tamil Nadu.? Though I reside in Bangalore I made it a point to attend the ceremony because we all know that the sacrifices of these martyrs have made our country what it is and made us what we are. I was asked to be present at 10.00 AM stating that is the time by which ‘Special Guests’ are required to come.? I accompanied my friend in Bangalore who was also going for the function. It was a drive of two and a half hours.? We reached in time; rather ten minutes earlier.?
There was a considerable crowd already. I was inspired by the response of locals who were nearly two thousand in number.? Later I learned it was organised by the Department of Sainik Welfare and Resettlement of Krishnagiri District.?
?A well-laid-out program was in the folder in front of me. The time for the Special Guests was from 10 AM to 10.15 AM.? Wreaths were laid and then there was a halt in the entire program.? On ascertaining, why the whole program was halted I was told that the District Collector had not arrived.? In such programs, the events should flow as per the program, and Guests who come late join the ceremony as and when they arrive.?
It is a sacred program of honouring the martyrs who laid down their lives for the country.? There was a galaxy of veterans of several regiments as Krishnagiri has the reputation of giving her sons to the Armed Forces.? It is a district whose soil nurtures heroes.? There were some Veterans who had been wounded in the Kargil War, and there was also a ‘Veer Nari’ who had lost her husband in the war at Kargil.? Present also, were many other veterans who had participated in the conflict.? Besides, there were hundreds of veterans. There were also serving officers who had come to take note of any problems faced by the veterans regarding their dues in pension.? The Madras Engineering Group had sent its band.?
With all this preparation the District Collector was missing.? As it was organized by one of her departments the entire program was halted and all were made to wait.? What a pathetic show!? Many senior veterans wanted to leave but out of respect for the martyrs and the sanctity of the occasion they stuck on. After over a half an hour delay the DC arrives.? Goes through the program mechanically.? The DC laid the wreath and was taken to the stage.? The entire drills of wreath laying were flouted; as no one knew when we were saluting the make-shift memorial and when was the two-minute silence for the departed heroes.? ?Then from the stage, someone announced for all veterans to salute and the band played.? Then the DC posed for some photo opportunities and departed. ??
Obviously, the young DC does not have the basics in her that she cannot be late for programs of martyrs.? She does not understand the entire country exists today because soldiers have given their blood and lives so that people like her can continue to disrespect them. This very month the country has lost 11 officers and soldiers to ensure we are safe.?? I always wonder what is taught in the IAS Academy at Mussoorie. Are they not taught to respect their nation; however, I must credit them for infusing in them a Himalayan ego in quick time even in their trainees; remember the one at Pune who made headlines for her alleged manipulation of the system to wriggle in among the infamous lot.?
I will end with a poem by Charles M Province.? It shows the essence of an Armed Force.??
“It is the Soldier, not the minister
Who has given us freedom of religion.
It is the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the Soldier, not the poet
Who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer
Who has given us freedom to protest.
It is the Soldier, not the lawyer
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the Soldier, not the politician
Who has given us the right to vote.
It is the Soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag.”
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3 个月Sir, The ego is infused by us, I have seen it growing firsthand and incidentally froma similar state function(in my case RDay). The ego raised tummy spreads and legs opened when they sit on chair, voice becomes uncouth because citizens think whatever sahab is doing is a favour and not duty, also too much arbitrariness in colonial rules was put there to rule the masses of foreign countries. Nothing we do, reverses the humility turned into inferiority by genius stroke of Lord Macaulay and many other thinktanks who carefully planned the demise of self respect and pride in Indians to turn them into slaves.