Wah Wagah

I along with my parents visited wagah border, as a part of our north India trip.It was one of the finest experience of my life. Wagah is the only road border crossing between India and Pakistan. It is in between Amritsar(about 20 kms) of India and Lahore of Pakistan. Every evening both India and Pakistan soldiers participate in a ceremony called the flag lowering ceremony.To witness this wonderful event lot of people from both the countries gather at this place.

We visited Wagah and Amritsar in the first week of may 2007. It was the beginning of the north Indian summer, temparature was around 30 degree celcius(very hot compared to namma Bengaluru). After reaching Amritsar from New Delhi by train, we took a taxi to go around Amritsar including Wagah. Our taxi diver (of course a sardarji) took us to wagah at around 4:30pm after showing some temples of Amritsar.Very few Indian visitors were there at that time, but already many Pakistanis had geared up. As few minutes rolled,thousands of Indians started gathering and the special stadium built to witness the flag lowering ceremony was full.On the other hand Pakistanis were only around half our strength.

The main event is that flags of both the countries are lowered in the same speed along with the beautiful parade by soldiers. As far Indian side is considered, our Soldiers will be continously encouraged by playing the recorded patriotic songs. Then came a man with mike, who encouraged the Indian crowd to chant slogans like Hinduatan Jindabad and Vande Mataram. Also some randomly selected Indians ran towards the border line waving our Tricolour flag. Soon the whole stadium was filled with the patriotic chants. Even today if I remember wagah, the sensational slogan pass through my ears"Hindustan Jindabad".

Bharat Ratna

It wasn't sad that in a country of 100 crores that we were unable to find a single 'Bharat Ratna', but it was sad that the way the whole drama was dragged by our netas. As usual our media had put their hands in the troubled waters. It all started with L K Advani suggesting A B Vajpayee's name for the country's highest civilian honour. As usual left parties and its 'secular' friends cried foul and wanted senior most comrade Jyoti Basu to be considered. Real 'dravidians' DMK urged the UPA government not to forget their leader M K. I agree with Our 'mannina maga' Devegowda's utterences that he must not have born in a state like karnataka, where no one including his family members didn't float his name for 'ratna'. Majority of the kannadigas also feel that he must not have born in this sacred soil.

Coming to the point, it was bit a surprise that no true congress man/woman floated their beloved leader Sonia Gandhi's name for the highest honour!! Even Mrs. Gandhi would have accepted it, as already she had done a great sacrifice by turning down the PM's chair? If romours were to be believed congress backroom people Ambika soni, Oscar Fernandes and others were already gearing up for this purpose. They thought it would be unanimous and their undisputed queen would be crowned by Bharat Ratna. But Advani spoiled their party.

Once again our netas showed how can craete controversies out of nothing. If people like MGR, Nehru, Indira (both were in power) , Rajiv can get the highest civilian honour, doesn't a true statesman like A B Vajapyee deserve it????