Dear friends,
In late Nineteen-Seventies, my Battalion was in Joshimath Sector. In the winter of 1977-1978, we had come down from the high altitudes and were camping on the banks of Alaknanda river. General elections had been announced. Mr YS Parmar, the founder Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, was campaigning for Congress in Garhwal area. One afternoon his vehicle had a serious accident and he was hospitalised. Next day he was to be heli-lifted from Rudraprayag.
Mr Parmar was a relative of one of our senior Regimental officers. Therefore, next day two of us also reached the helipad to meet him and pay our regards. There were nearly a dozen politicians gathered at the helipad, ahead of the arrival of the hospital ambulance. Mr Parmar was unfortunately unconscious. Between the ambulance and the helicopter the stretcher was made to stop. One by one each politician stood next to the stretcher, adjusted his cap and posed for a photo. Some even unabashedly told the assembled media, "bhai mera naam high command tak jaroor pahunchna chahiye". Not one of them even looked at the patient, who was kept in the hot sun for over five minutes. The whole spectacle was repugnant.
The event makes a recall.
A kin of Mohdammad Akhlaq, who had been earlier killed in Dadri (UP) on allegation of beef eating, was under treatment at Research and Referral hospital in Delhi Cantt. The brutal murder was condemned widely. One son of Mohammad Akhlaq is in Air Force. The Air Chief had already extended help: posted him to Delhi and offered him choice of accommodation outside the village etc.
Last week, a message on the social media said the a few veterans would visit the hospital and look up the recuperating patient. The veterans, all using pirated ESM designations, announced their plans of visit a day in advance. No harm in visiting a patient. But it was also announced that the Press had been called outside the hospital gate (since they would not be permitted inside a military premises) for the veterans to brief them after the visit.
The above two events have a stark similarity. We keep deprecating the politicians endlessly. But are we any different?
Best regards,
Lt Gen Raj Kadyan
Chairman IESM
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