Remembering the Real Heroes! AJ Hospital Doctors & Staff Pay Tribute to Martyred 40 CRPF
Mangaluru: Quoting George Patton “The soldier is the Army. No army is better than its soldiers. The Soldier is also a citizen. In fact, the highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for one’s country.” and quoting Billy Graham “Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened. The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war”- It is with respect and remembrance that the doctors and staff of AJ Hospital, Mangaluru gathered at the ‘War Memorial’, Kadri, Mangaluru on the night of Tuesday at 7 PM to offer their tributes to 40 CRPF who were killed in a bomb attack.
Recalling the incident, at least 40 CRPF personnel were killed in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district on 14 February 2019 when a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the bus they were travelling in. The attack was one of the worst in the state in 20 years. More than 2,500 Central Reserve Police Force personnel, many of them returning from leave to rejoin duty in the Valley, were travelling in the convoy of 78 vehicles when they were ambushed on the Srinagar-Jammu highway at Latoomode in Awantipora. The terrorist driving the suicide vehicle was Adil Ahmad from Kakapora in Pulwama who joined the JeM in 2018. The terror group has claimed responsibility for the attack that took place about 30 km from Srinagar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the attack “despicable” and said that the “sacrifices of our brave security personnel shall not go in vain”.
Dr Prashanth Marla- Medical Director at AH Hospital & Research Centre addressing the mourners said “February 14, 2019 was a black day for all of us Indians, when 44 CRPF personnel were killed in a bomb blast. These innocent soldiers after their vacation were returning to their units. But unfortunately death came to them so quickly they were unable to see their families again. These soldiers protect us and our borders from intruders, and are ready to sacrifice their lives. While we all enjoy a good life, these soldiers work hard and keep a vigil on attackers, so that we are safe. These soldiers sacrificed their lives to protect us from our enemies”.
“As we pay respect to the departed souls of these brave-hearts by lighting candles, we should also be thankful to them for protecting us and our country all these years. A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself. The soldier who fights to death never dies, but the soldier who fights for existence never truly exists. We have come here, not to mourn our dead soldiers, but to praise them for their sacrifices and dedication. Forgetting our differences and religious status, we need to unite together and raise our voices and fight against terrorism, so that we could live happily and peacefully” added Dr Marla.
Doctors and staff from A J Hospital after observing two-minutes silence as a respect to the 40 departed souls of the brave-hearts, moved around the “Memorial” and later placed the lighted candles. Few other members from ‘Ballalbagh-Biruver Kudla’ and also Kadri East Police Station SI Maruti Naik also joined and placed candles. It was indeed a befitting tribute paid by the Citizens of Mangaluru to these fallen heroes of Indian Army.
Ending this report with a thought-provoking poem by Violet Pereira