An Open Letter to Mr. Unnikrishnan
A heartfelt note of gratitude from Dr S Kalyanaraman-ji. Please read in full.
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*** An Open Letter to Mr. Unnikrishnan ***
Dear Mr. Unnikrishnan,
You do not know me but I owe you a great debt. It sits on my shoulder like the body of a much loved brother, it shrouds my heart and casts a pall on all that I do….I know not how to repay you and that is my biggest agony. I see you as you speak to the media without a quaver in your voice, I see your wife with a broken heart and I am lashed with a pain that has no voice.
Your son died saving my son and it weighs me down…speak to me and ask for something in return…I will give you my blood and the very marrow from my bone! Forgive me as I am the cause of your brilliant son fading…I did not see the enemy neither did I recognize it and when it attacked me with the ferocity of a thousand lions, I could only run and try to hide. I left the battle to your son and he has gone to the soldier’s paradise. He has done his duty and asked for nothing and I am cursed.
I am cursed as I lie at night wrestling with sleep as images of the dead and dying call out to me. I am cursed when I see the beautiful face of your son. I am cursed when I look at the face of grief that is your wife. I look at my sleeping son lying safe in his bed and I am overwhelmed. I cannot begin to imagine what courage it takes you to get up in the morning and face another day.
If it gives you any small iota of relief, let me tell you that it is the sacrifice of soldiers like your son which make me hold up my head high. It ignites a feeling of great self esteem and it is what makes me hopeful. If we have men like your son still left in India , then we will come into our own. These men show me a bright, shining vision of the future and make me a believer. Our fat, ugly, disillusioned sorry caricatures who are our politicians who suck out hope and glory and tarnish all that is good in our world fail in their task of destroying our faith.
Men like Major Sandeep who live by their ideals unflinchingly are our saviours. We see them and recognize in them a pure spirit burning bright. They are our beacons…they shine forth like our star of hope and we can weather all storms.
Mr. Unnikrishnan, you are the exceedingly brave father of a lion among men. In your grief, know this that all Indians have seen him and his faith and his love for our country…in his death he has become immortal.
Death will come to us all. It will carry us away leaving only our loved ones sorrowful…your son’s funeral has made a whole nation grief-stricken. It has made all Indians say a prayer for him and his family. It has made us sit up and has lit a fire under us. He singlehandedly silenced Mr. Raj Thackeray with his deed. This sorry politician’s career is over before it began…the so-called leader of the Marathi hides his face at home when a soldier rams home his point in so direct a fashion. Raj Thackeray was cowering beneath his bed when “his†Mumbai was burning and the men in uniform fought and gave up their lives for an India they unite and protect. No talk, no rhetoric just a heroic fight to the finish!
Mr. Unnikrishnan, if we have more men like your son then India WILL become a superpower.
I salute you and your family.
God bless you all.
An indebted Indian.
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â€Let’s salute a real “Heroâ€
Of Stars and Martyrs, Munnabhai vs. Manish Pitambare.
My salute! to S. Unnikrishnan, his family and all others who fought for making us safe so that we can see the next morning Sun.
Lets take a vow that their sacrifice doesnot go in vain. Lets all stand up and unite for the country. No matter in what part of the world we are, but we all owe and are indebted today.
Jai Hind!
What a beautiful letter! It’s very sad that people like the Major have to die to make us realize our crass incompetence in national matters. I hope people awake and prevent people like Major Sandeep from sacrificing themselves..
I would also like to record my salute and warmest regards to Mr and Mrs Unnikrishnan…the pround parents of Shaheed Major Sandeep.
Today when most parents shy away from sending their kids to the armed forces people like Major Sandeep make us realise that had there not been people like them protecting our today…we would not have woken up to see tommorrow….
i really pains me to read and see that our armed forces have to lobby , fight and cajole the netas and the babus to get a pay hike and other facilities….with so many evil eyes cast on this beautiful country, our armed forces, the police and paramillitary should be our blue eyed boys….and we as the people of this nation should ensure that they should not be lacking or wanting any resource when they fight for the country against any enemy external or internal….
we have to force our decision making class to sit up and do every thing to make sure the citizens of this country are safe…
salute to the mother and father of a real indian hero.madhu
Salute to you .
We are able to live happily beacuse of great people like your son who are fighting and dying for us.