Proud Army wives keep up their spirits

UDHAMPUR, JUNE 18: Rajni married Major Dinesh Kumar only three months ago. Hardly had she settled down with her husband here, at the Nort...

UDHAMPUR, JUNE 18: Rajni married Major Dinesh Kumar only three months ago. Hardly had she settled down with her husband here, at the Northern Command, that hostilities broke out between India and Pakistan, and her husband was sent to Kargil.

Similarly, Captain Ravinder Chopra left his bride to go to Kargil after just two months of marriage. Both these brides know nothing about where their husbands are, except that they are fighting for the country in Kargil. Their only lifeline is hope that they will see their husbands one day.

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These are not isolated cases, as a large number of families continue attending to their daily chores with a sense of pride that their husbands, brothers or fathers are fighting for the nation. The shadow of the Kargil conflict has not dampened their spirits.

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“When will we serve the country, if not now?” said Meera Thakur, whose husband is posted on a picket somewhere in Kargil. Raj Kumari, whose husband is also at the frontier in Kargil, said that she would like her elder sonalso to join the defence forces.

These Army wives have kept their spirits high and a good number of them have joined vocational courses to utilise the spare time. Nirmala joined a vocational course and learnt bag-making. “We are always prepared for such a situation,” she added. Like her, there are many who have joined knitting, computer or beauty parlour courses at the vocational centres.

“We sit together to discuss things, sing songs and share the news,” said R Varughese, wife of a Brigade Commander who is also on the front in Kargil.

“Life goes on as usual here, except that the frequency of periodic meetings between the families of Army officers and jawans have increased now,” said Arti Sharma, wife of a unit commander deployed somewhere in Kargil.

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There is no panic among the families. “We visit them often and make arrangements for the supply of ration, LPG and other essential commodities,” she said and added that they were facing the situation bravely. Significantly, most of thesesegregated families continue to live in the Command area here despite their husbands having gone to the front and the children are on summer vacation. “I cannot go to my native place as I don’t know when my husband might call me up,” said the wife of an Army officer. Their children, too, appear to have adjusted to the situation. They are not insisting on going for a holiday, Arti Sharma said, and added that the small children, however, ask about their fathers repeatedly.