 Early Times Report
Jammu, May 13: Our soldiers and jawans, including CRPF personnel, drawn from different parts of the country, are laying down their precious lives happily for the cause of the nation in Kashmir and secure the lives of the people of the state. Thousands of our soldiers and jawans have sacrificed their lives during all these years of the state's accession to India to defend and promote further the country's sovereign interests in the state. It is the duty of all of us and those at the helm, or even in the opposition, to respect the martyrs and express solidarity with the bereaved families. Unfortunately, it has not been happening in Kashmir.
What happened in Kashmir on Tuesday was just disgusting. No politician, not even the so-called mainstream politician, turned up for the wreath-laying ceremony of the two slain Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF men, who were brutally killed in a militant attack on Monday in Anantnag district. Paradoxically, not a single BJP minister or MLA or MLC thought it desirable to participate in the function to salute the martyrs and recognize their supreme sacrifice. All the BJP minister, all the BJP MLAs and all the BJP MLCs held aloof from the solemn event, thus sending a message that they were no different from Kashmiri leaders. It needs to be noted that most of the ministers, including from the BJP, were very much present in Srinagar and they attended their offices at the civil secretariat.
No wonder many jawans expressed unhappiness over the conspicuous absence of politicians at the ceremony, which was organized by the CRPF in the morning to pay floral tributes to its two slain men at Humhama, on the outskirts of the city. Only senior police and CRPF officers attended the ceremony. "We feel bad that no politician turned up," bemoaned a CRPF jawan. "We risk our lives to protect our country. At least the politicians from the ruling party should have been present," he was quoted as saying.
Two CRPF jawan, including an officer, were killed on Mondayafternoon, when militants ambushed their patrol party at Sangam in Anantnag district. The bodies of ASI Omkar Nath Singh of Uttar Pradesh and Constable Tilak Raj of Himachal Pradesh were flown to their native places after the wreath-laying function.
It must remain a matter of shame that those at the helm, especially from the so-called nationalist BJP, stayed away from the ceremony. Such actions only lower the morale of our security forces who are involved in anti-insurgency operations. |
