Date: Sunday, 8 February, 2009, 8:16 PM
Dear All,
It was a bright sunny day, one could see the smile of confidence, and we shall succeed attitude on all the old horses of The Valiant Indian Armed Forces with their medals speaking for the person adorning them.
Probably very few who were to attend the rally could have slept the night before and when I reached the venue early morning at 8 AM was surprised to see the place full of Veterans from The Valley Dehra Dun led by Lt Gen Rawat in 3 bus loads already sitting gracefully.
Slowly and gradually the place was becoming a colourful parade of old soldiers from all states making the entry into the arena and taking the rightful place on the daris in front of the Dias........ ....Much before the start time of 11 AM it looked that the entire area would be swept by the soldiers of the past. I soon lost count of which state reps were making the colourful entry with full throttled Jai Hinds....there were soon thousands of ex-service men in the area by 12 noon.
The media was present in full strength as early as 8 AM and each trying to broadcast max news of the event as to what has led the disciplined ex uniformed men to this state.
We had the 90 yrs old young agile World War II veteran Col MS Krishnamoorthy and the old horse Gen Cardozo pumping in the old josh with many 3 stars from the 3 services joining in. There was a lady a daughter of Brig Lahri VrC ex 1st Garhwal who had come all the way from a remote corner of Delhi to be with the ex service men. There were many such unsung participants. Thanks to them all.
One could see old comrades exchanging notes and the grit written on every ones face...the air was time and again filled with Jai Hinds and Jai Bharat...which eye was not moist when mother of Late Capt Umesh Bhardwaj the Shaurya Chakra awardee spoke and showed the coveted medal she was about to part with...must be real tragic after giving the son to the nation and now the only memory of the medal..../ Son.
There after it was a chain of ex service men marching along the 3 km route as orderly as one could imagine from the discipline in our blood led by all the Veterans as graceful as ever led by Gen Kadyan.
Some of the senior veterans went off to the Rashtrapati Bhawan to return the medals which we so dearly love with tears in our eyes.
To those who stayed at home and missed the moment which cannot be described and only felt there will always be a next time.....so be on the look out....and come next time... as it is a long journey... till we achieve our AIM... OROP.
Regards
Cdr Sharan Ahuja (Retd)
Member Core Group IESM
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