At school there was this extremely sad and touching poem about a woman whose husband's dead body is brought home after he dies fighting as a soldier for his country. The woman is so bereft with grief that she has absolutely no tears to cry. She simply becomes a lump of stone and refuses to cry no matter how much the neighbors plead with her. At last someone brings her child and places it on her lap and seeing the innocent who will never know his father anymore, she breaks down and cries.
I was reminded of this poem seeing Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan's mom cry next to his dead body. He was killed in the Mumbai terrorist attacks. His father could barely control his emotions when speaking to the reporters about his son. After 2 days the Kerala CM went to visit the family and he was sent away from the house (quite rightly so) by the major's father who is grieved that nobody from the Kerala gov showed up till now.
I read at http://bangalorebuzz.blogspot.com/ that Sandeep had married his childhood friend and classmate Neha, but their relationship was strained. So he leaves behind his widowed wife too.
The picture shows the major's father as he stoically holds back his tears and helps his wife reach out to touch her only son for the last time. It's a picture that breaks your heart.
It is indeed a very sad day.
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Home They Brought Her Warrior Dead
- Alfred Lord Tennyson
Home they brought her warrior dead:
She nor swooned, nor uttered cry:
All her maidens, watching, said,
'She must weep or she will die.'
Then they praised him, soft and low,
Called him worthy to be loved,
Truest friend and noblest foe;
Yet she neither spoke nor moved.
Stole a maiden from her place,
Lightly to the warrior stepped,
Took the face-cloth from the face;
Yet she neither moved nor wept.
Rose a nurse of ninety years,
Set his child upon her knee--
Like summer tempest came her tears--
'Sweet my child, I live for thee.'
9 comments:
This is really unbelievably sad...at least their son will be highly decorated and praised in death which is more than the parents of the other warriors can hope for...small consolation i know.
i am so glad that Unnikrishnan Sr. took the stand that he did, he too is a brave man!it is an inspiring act--
Hello
Sad times these. I am also glad that Late ATS Chief Hemant Karkare's family declined the monetary help offered by Narendra Modi. The writing is on the wall - politicians keep away!
Best regards
The poem is so simple and yet so deep. I am very proud of the Major's father as I am of the ATC chief's wife to have sent off the politicos from the door.
Soldiers make a pact with death the day they sign up for the armed forces; some have to honor this pact in the course of their duty. Major Sandeep died a hero's death, though he did so because of blatant ineptness on part of our polity, is what is the sad part.
It is indeed very sad.
hes more than a warrior, hes a martyr. Heres another story of a hero hardly covered by the media. Why ? no idea.
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1210635
Kl2ish..I just read abt the article u mentioned-that cop was really brave but It has'nt been given so much media ttanetion..I really feel sad abt that :(
He prevented the terrorist from killing so many other ppl
Some hearsay suggests that sniferdogs were sent to the Unnikrishnan house before the CM went to them. Pathetic!
I salute all the brave men who laid their lives for our safety.
Note: Home they brought her warrior dead is applicable for Hemant karkare and vijay salaskar. For unnikrishnan i would dedicate the song: lukka chuppi (from rang de basanti)
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