War? Just think about this....

A lot is being covered in the media about a possible war in the near future. The question being repeatedly asked in all the channels and news papers is whether we are ready for war. But to me the real question is- are the soldiers, their families ready for the war? I have a friend who is a new army wife and if we go to war her husband being the infantry man would be the first one to leave along with thousands of others. This would leave an equal number of spouses back home. So what is being done for them? There is a saying that God handpicks special girls to be army wives so where does a war leave a girl who very proudly wedded the olive green.

They experience loneliness, lack of communication, routine emotional upheavals on a regular basis. For an army wife the presence of the military is so strong it is almost like a third partner in the marriage. But in many cases this third partner is the quickest one to leave her in case of some mishap. Once, the then Minister of Defence Mr O Rajagopalan said that the military wives are a national responsibility. I really appreciate his comments. But comments take us nowhere. Standing firmly behind our nation’s heroes these wives do also need a firmer back support.

With so much of media hype I know a lot of military families feel a bit lost right now. They quite honestly don't know what the future holds for them. There are hundreds of issues that are important to the all the army personnel and all of their dependents which need immediate attention. These having been gathering dust in the files and may never even see the daylight.

And lastly whether or not there is a war what is actually needed is a rock solid plan A and plan B for the families to fall back on. Is anybody listening? Rahul Gandhi? We need you here….

World of Wonderful Wives

It is a legend, that the God almighty handpicks very special girls to be the army wives. ARMYWIVES! A word that instantly brings to mind varied images of independent, self assured, self confident, savvy and strong ladies, members of that sisterhood of women who have had the courage to watch their men go into battle, courses or long exercises. We women of steel have the strength to carry on with our duties and responsibilities until they return. We are often left behind like I am these days but surely never forgotten, we just carry on with our duties to which we must abide as a result of our marriage to the soldiers of the soil.

I am not being presumptuous but it’s a fact that within days we turn a desolate and deserted looking place into something liking a beautiful abode. Something that the family proudly calls a home. Nicely decorating it, with the treasures of our travels through the length and breadth of the country and abroad. Using hammer and nail, we tack the paintings to the wall, and the roots to the floor as firmly as if we have been living there for a lifetime. We are the breed which holds the family together and raise the best of the brats with best of the brains. No wonder that we have Karan Thapar, Sushmita Sen, JJ Vallaya, Priyanka Chopra etc all coming from the army background.

Unlike the our civilian counterparts, our time is measured not by years, but by postings for example we were married at Tezpur, our first baby came in Mhow, a special promotion in Udhampur, our second baby came in Jodhpur. Our husbands are often on the road, at the border, on a field, or on a course leaving us behind for weeks, months, and sometimes years. During these times we guard the home front and are always ready to help those around them, be it a friend in need, a sick child, an OR family, aging parents or in-laws.
But the sad part is that just at the moment we start calling a place our own its time to go to a newer place. What you never know is that it might be a big metro or the jungles of Assam. All through my married life what I have realized is that we area an ever optimistic lot thinking of the good, and forgetting the bad, cherishing yesterday, while anticipating tomorrow. Regardless of monetary pleasures and pay commissions our hearts overflow with a wealth of experiences common only to those united by the special tradition of military life. Often called the “luckiest ones” I salute these ladies and wish they all could read this and know; How thankful the country is to have you and be loved by you, and how proud it is for all that you have done then, now, and later. Thanks and God Bless all of you and me !!