After war, soldiers are forgotten

At 65, 'veteran' Colonel S S Rajan is still prepared for another 33 years of service. He joined the Indian Army with a single star on his epaulet when 18. And today he refuses to acknowledge his 'retired' status — even on his signature. The passion and pride is all in his family. His father was a World War-II veteran, his son-in-law is a doctor and surgeon in the army; and his son is now preparing to join the forces. "There's nothing like being in the Army," says Rajan. But what worries him is a lack of public awareness about a soldier’s life and their sacrifices that are often trivialised by political minds. ‘‘Even the Kargil war could not change much of this mindset,’’ he says. So, 10 years after the victory, on Vijay Diwas, how does he feel? Has there been any significant change in the lives of the jawans? Says Rajan, ‘‘Soldiers are heroes while the war lasts. After it’s over, they are forgotten. We are an ‘ungrateful’ country but nobody can be blamed for it as we still haven’t understood the significance of freedom. We take our freedom for granted.’’ Are the sacrifices, that led to a surge in patriotism among the people, still remembered — beyond the tokenism of an anniversary day celebrations? Says Rajan, ‘‘The pride of being in the Army is surely intact. But today, we have a shortage of at least 12,000 officers of the rank of a lieutenant, captain and colonel. This, despite the increase in basic pay. When I joined in 1963, my basic was Rs 400 and today the same has risen to Rs 25,000. But still, it doesn’t attract youngsters. What’s needed is educating people about the defence services. And this should begin with textbooks in schools.’’