AFOVA New Letter 2 of Year 2021

Section 6 - Memoirs CV 2 No. 02 / 2021 Page 208 of 332 War, not peace, produces virtue. War, not peace, purges vice. War, and preparation for war, call forth all that is noble and honourable in a man. It unites him with his brothers and binds them in selfless love, eradicating in the crucible of necessity all which is base and ignoble. There in the holy mill of murder the meanest of men may seek and find that part of himself, concealed beneath the corrupt, which shines forth brilliant and virtuous, worthy of honour before the gods. Do not despise war, my young friend, nor delude yourself that mercy and compassion are virtues superior to andreia, to manly valour. - Steven Pressfield, Gates of Fire The Kargil operations took part whilst the non-Congress coalition was in power at the centre. During the next elections – the Congress coalition returned to power. And one of the luminaries of the Congress party which ruled the country for the major part of the last seventy years was specious to say that the Kargil Diwas was a “BJP war”. He possibly was suffering from amnesia, as friend Arnab Goswami would say that the Nations knows that the Armed Forces are apolitical and have always obeyed the dictates of the government in power. Nevertheless a couple of years later – more possibly during the second tenure of the Congress, Kargil Diwas was celebrated on 26 July by various Armed Forces formations. It may not out of place to mention that wherever there are units of the Armed Forces, memorials been built from donations made from the soldiers as well as well-meaning private citizens. Their upkeep and maintenance are also to be paid for from non- governmental funds. Nevertheless on the rare occasions that the State does decide to lay a wreath to remember those who gave up their todays for our tomorrows, use is made of the India Gate in Delhi and the War Memorial in Chennai – which was earlier known as Madras. In both the memorials, the names of those Indians who formed part of the British Army who sacrificed their lives for the rest of us to enjoy our freedom have been inscribed. In the Victory Memorial at Madras only the names of those who belonged to the then Madras Presidency and took part in World War I are inscribed. There are four columns surrounding the main vertical column. On these columns, the names of those who gave up their all – post Independence have been added – one column has been devoted to 1948, another to 1962, a third to 1965 and the last to 1971. There is no additional column to add the names of those who lost their lives in the Kargil War of 1999.