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Survivors

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Survivors
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Yogender Singh Yadav, New Delhi

The Paramvir Chakra winner, who took 14 bullets in the retaking of Tiger Hill, has beenin and out of operation theatres. Though looking forward to going to his home in thenearby town of Bulandshahr, his leave is still some way off as he is yet to be releasedfrom hospital. What he misses to some extent now is the constant stream ofvisitors-friends, relatives, political leaders, representatives of the media and evencomplete strangers-that was a routine feature in the early days. Once he does get home, hewill have to take on the realities of life even a war hero cannot escape.

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The family of Parminder Singh, Unhani Village, Haryana

The dead gunner’s mother (above) and widow are currently squabbling in the courtsover who gets the compensation offered by the government. The 19-year-old Suman,Singh’s wife, is no longer staying with her in-laws. The latter allege thatSuman’s father is instigating her to fight for the money because he wants it to giveit as dowry when he gets her remarried. Parminder’s father, Rajinder Singh, lamentsthat instead of being a model martyr home, they’ve become "the laughing stock ofthe village".

Charulata and Aparajita, Hyderabad

The widow of Padampani Acharya was seven months pregnant with Aparajita (seen wearingthe Mahavir Chakra her father was awarded posthumously) when he was killed. But she saysher in-laws gave her all the support she needed to see her through her"nightmare". The government has offered her a job, but she has refused, optingto take care of Aparajita-instead. She has adopted the principle of taking life as itcomes from her mother-in-law Vimla Acharya, who has no complaints against anybody."Like any mother, I too was shocked and cried for some time," says Vimla."But death is the only truth of life."

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Rajbala Datarwal and Anju, village Dongra Jat, Haryana

When her husband Khazan Singh was killed, the village panchayat promised a statue inhis honour. Later, local politicians chipped in with promises of free education forKhazan’s three children. But a year later, there is no statue. Worse, Anju, theeldest child, has been denied admission to Class VIII as she lost a year while shiftingfrom Amritsar, where the family was posted, to their village, following Khazan’sdeath. Rajbala feels it is natural for people to forget, which is why she refused a jobthe army offered on compassionate grounds. "Then, Kargil was fresh. But later theymight have posted me in a remote place."

Uddhab Das’ family, Anchali village, Assam

When Uddhab’s body arrived in the village, thousands congregated there. His death,along with that of Capt Jintu Gogoi from Assam’s upper Golaghat district, had createdan unprecedented patriotic upsurge in the state. Common people, angry with the ULFA’ssupport to Pakistan during the Kargil conflict, came out in droves to join the funeralprocessions. And a direct outcome was that the numbers of those seeking enlistment to thearmy-hitherto looked down upon by many in Assam since militancy was regarded a more‘romantic’ option-increased manifold. In fact, 10 boys from Anchali itself wererecruited in the last eight months alone.

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Sudique Banno and Mohammed Ibrahim, Akchamal village, Kargil

The two were among the handful of those who stayed back, unlike most of the 20 familieswho fled the village during the war. While Ibrahim served as a porter for the army,Sudique opted to remain so that she could water the crops. Says she, "Whenever therewas shelling, we used to hide in the downstairs room." But now, the government’scompensation package has allowed villagers to build bunkers for their reconstructed homes.Now, Sudique says, "Even if there is this kind of a fight every year, we will remainhere."

Families of Bikram Singh and Sukhpreet Singh, Kubbaheri village, Punjab

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The survivors of the uncle-nephew duo who were killed in the space of two months belongto a village that has been sending its sons to battle since World War I. Even today,nearly 70 men from its 200 households serve with the armed forces.

Ujjwala Nikam and Vijaya, Karad, Maharashtra

A day after he called her from the frontlines and promised her a tour of Kargil,Ujjwala’s husband Madhukar was killed. It was also the day her daughter-whom shenamed after Operation Vijay-was born.

Manbhawanti Devi, Tinku and Parveen, Garhi Ruthal, Haryana

In the initial wave of public support, the local leaders named a road in the villageafter Birender Singh Lamba. Ironically, they forgot to invite his family to the function.The promise to rename the school after him hasn’t materialised either.

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Angrez Kaur and Jagir Singh, Dappar village, Punjab

Abandoned to their fate by their daughter-in-law-who ran out on them with thecompensation money, children in tow-the aged couple are struggling to survive. "Welost everything with our son Balbir," says the 75-year-old Jagir, too weak to tillthe land. "No one has bothered about old parents. Neither the Centre nor the statehas done anything for those who gave birth to the brave men who gave their lives for thecountry."

Sonam Wangchuk, Leh

On deputation with the Ladakh Scouts now, the Mahavir Chakra winner knows the Kargilwar was different from earlier conflicts in one essential way. "So many died in the1971 war, but no one knew about them," he says. He acknowledges the role the mediaplayed in getting recognition for the lowly soldiers who actually risk life and limb atthe battlefront. "The media galvanised the nation. Brought war into the drawingrooms. After Operation Vijay, civilians started recognising the army for what it is. Italso made higher-ups more responsive." Such effusive public empathy, he regrets, didnot come the way of those fighting earlier wars or low-intensity battles in theinsurgency-ridden areas of the country.

Mohammed Ali, Bhimbet village, Dras

Apart from reducing his humble house to rubble, the war also wiped out his entirelivestock. Ali was part of the majority that left the area to escape the shelling. Stillrebuilding his house, he says: "Who knows when the fighting will start again? No onetells us anything. What we know is from the radio."

K. Peter and Saily Nongdrum, Shillong, Meghalaya

When their son Keishing Clifford Nongdrum-who was awarded the Mahavir Chakra, the firstin Meghalaya-was killed, newspapers fell over themselves to cover his funeral rally, whichtook five hours to cover just 12 km. A year later, they had to pay the local paper toprint his picture on the occasion of his birthday. "Of course, it was a nominalamount," they say. "But..."

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