last night as i was driving from the kumbhalgarh fort towards my homestay i passed through a little town called kelwara, and as i passed by the main bazzar i sensed a little commotion. it looked like a bunch of excited youngsters putting up some sort of a billboard..
i paused, wondering, and as i rolled down the windows i heard desh bhakti songs. i got off and took a closer look. yup, just as i thought, the boys were putting up some sort of a memorial for the pulwama jawans.
the feelings were clearly running high and a few 'bharat mata ki jai' rang in the air. then somebody began to sing the national anthem. as i joined in, my tears began to flow. throughly embarassed i tried to stem the flow. it wouldn't. fuck it, i said, let them flow. and i wept like a baby.
i really wish those tears were tears of grief, pain or anguish, instead they were hot tears of rage, helplessness. i cried for us all, for finding ourselves in such a bind. given our military might avenging these lives would be so easy. and yet i know, the easy sometimes sits on a very slippery slope.
i know not how these lives will be avenged, but certainly they werent lost in vain. as i stood with this tiny group of people in a tiny tiny part of the nation i felt a tide of emotion which seemed to be sweeping everywhere... thats takes some doing...
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