The spirit of patriotism

APROPOS of Aradhika Sekhon’s article "Come on, India" (July 10), our jawans are fighting the intruders in inhospitable terrain, climate and trying conditions in the Kargil sector. On reaching Islamabad, after meeting President Bill Clinton, Nawaz Sharif appealed to the intruders and sought their cooperation in restoring the LoC, to resolve the Kargil situation. In fact, most of the intruders called Mujahideen by the Pakistan government are regular soldiers of the Pak army. How strange! The PM of the country is appealing to the men of his army to cooperate in respecting the LoC. Here lies the difference between Indian and Pakistan, and that is why every Indian wants to do his bit for the jawans guarding the counry’s borders. We in India believe in ‘Live and let live’ and they in Pakistan believe — Li(v)e and lie!

O.P. Sharma
Faridabad

II

The entire developed world has clearly seen the terrorist designs of Pakistan. Even Pak’s friend China rebukes it. The USA and the UK have shown a positive tilt towards truth which India has always stood for.

In 1971, the entire opposition supported Indira Gandhi-Samar Guha, a socialist, summed up the opposition sentiments: "Today she (Indira Gandhi) is not an individual; she is not the Prime Minister of India; she is the flaming sword of the national personality of our country today." The nation must stand like a steel wall behind Vajpayee.

The author has made pertinent points about the settlement of the disabled soldiers and of the war widows.The sympathy wave that we see at the moment may wither away the moment the "Operation Vijay" is over.

Does anybody talk of war widows of 1971 war and the plight of their children? War widows of the Kargil war many of whom are in their twenties have to be remarried. These unfortunate women are the nation’s daughters, society’s daughters.

The task of the remarriage of these widows may be decentralised. Left to the government it would fade away shortly. It may be taken care of by the village panchayats, block samitis and municipal councils. Young men should come forward in numbers to embrace these unfortunate women in wedlock.

The disabled soldiers cannot be fed only on the donated funds. They need a permanent vocation. The existing vocational training centres which are in most cases virtually non-functioning should be brought to shape. More such centres should be opened. And this must be the prime responsibility of the state governments. That will redefine our patriotism, our nationalism. The whole nation, particularly our politicians, should leave the game of self and pelf, of extravaganza, of pomp and pageantry. We must spare more funds for our defence forces for the purchase of sophisticated weaponry.

S.S. JAIN
Chandigarh

III

With the growing trends of materialism and the resultant spread of competition, commercialism and corruption, the expression of one’s patriotism and nationalist fervour seems to have been limited to monetary contribution towards army relief funds. Today one seems to practise a philosophy that projects the market as the ultimate God and the quality of selfishness as the desired virtue.

Little does the commercialised man realise that nationalism is a sentiment leading to the deepening of national consciousness and unity on the basis of common ideas and beliefs. No doubt at this juncture of Kargil crisis, there is a tidal wave of support and sympathy for our soldiers fighting the enemy in a hostile terrain. One also finds an honest expression of anguish for a nation whose boundaries have been infiltrated. People have also stood by the bereaved families of our brave martyrs. Such sentiments were also displayed in 1962, 1965 and 1971, yet one is uncomfortably conscious of the fact that this zeal of nationalism is more material than deep-rooted. In the present day commercialised humanity, patriotism has to be resurrected.

Patriotism lies not just in donations towards the army relief funds, nor is it in slogans and rallies. Real patriotism is in developing a nationalistic approach in governance and curbing the negative factors of corruption, inefficiency and non-productiveness. True patriotism leads to the strengthening of the social and moral values through the education of the masses.

Ved Guliani
Hisar

Don’t worry, be happy

Apropos of R.C. Sharma’s "Don’t worry, be happy" (July 5), in these days of tension, industrial unrest, and inflation, it is useless worrying about what may happen years ahead. Let us hope that we will all be alive and well and flourishing.

When worries beset you, face the very worst that could happen. What are you afraid of? A disease? A broken home? Bankruptcy? Death?

Whatever it is, and however, bad it is, never run away in the sense of trying to forget it by pushing it into the back of the mind. The trouble is that we think about it — when we are alone, when we are tired and depressed, when we wake up in the middle of the night and cannot sleep. Our fears return to frighten us. So face up to it fairly and squarely, in the cold clear light of your conscious mind.

Always get down to the bare bones of a worry. We often colour worry with our immagination, exaggerate it out of all proportion, get fixed ideas. Talk it over with a sensible experienced friends, preferably someone who can be impersonal and see it from an outsider’s point of view.

Night is the time for rest. This requires practice and self-discipline. Make yourself think of something else, not worries. Consciously and deliberately keep turning your mind away to the nicest and pettiest person you know, the jolliest holiday you every had, the most pleasant thing that has never happened to you.

Finally, a worry shared is a worry halved. Don’t try to keep it all to yourself in a mistaken notion that you are sparing those nearest to you. They will quickly sense that something is bothering you and you will only succeed in hurting and worrying them. Tell them about it. Discuss it frankly. Let their sympathy, cooperation and encouragement spur you on.

K.M. VASHISHT
Mansa

II

Worry is like paying interest on an amount before it is due. It is feeling the tiredness of climbing a hill before actually doing so. Worry does not solve any problem facing a person at present but it definitely spoils the person’s working capacity in the future. Worry is like burning down one’s house to get rid of a rat.

It should be remembered that most of the problems can be solved only if a cool minded rational approach is adopted. If a problem still remains without a solution, one should learn to live with it.

ANUP K. GAKKHAR
Jalandhar