“We do not want Sarabjit in exchange for terrorists”.

This is one of the boldest statements I have read in years coming from one of the humblest citizens of the nation. The word ‘we’ I consider is very significant. It speaks for herself, her daughters and perhaps some of the other relatives of hers who perhaps support her view equally forcefully. Years in tears and years of agony it is with which the people covered under the word ‘we’ have been awaiting for getting united with their beloved Sarabjit and it is all the more hidden agonies of separation and dejection for poor Sukhpreet. Yet she chose to make the statement suo moto without any gain visible.

The act of Sukhpreet assumes greater significance in the face of certain other happenings in the country that smacks of cowardice, opportunism and sheer incompetence more so by persons who hold positions of high office and are in need of displaying exemplary behaviour especially in times of crisis. One central minister from the violence and terrorism prone Kashmir was overzealously keen to release any number of terrorists when his daughter was kidnapped. A statement by the minister that could bear a semblance of comparison with the valourous statement of Sukhpreet would have done a world of good in controlling terror even if the politician subsequently followed the typical practice of letting statements remaining mere preaching.   Today both the father and daughter are ministers in the state after succeeding in releasing the terrorists!!!

Sukhpreet made another bold statement “nothing is above the nation and we can’t go against the interests of the motherland”. This statement as a supplement to the first reiterates the resolve that rules the mind of a simple housewife who is a soldier at heart and can become a commando if the situation warrants. This is quite in contrast to the raucous that the relatives of hostages of the hijacked aircraft made at the dawn of 2000 to ensure safety of their clan though most of them were much more qualified educated and are in greater financial comfort than Sukhpreet.  The nation then also surrendered by releasing terrorists.

The attitude of Sukhpreet manifests a mindset that attacks at the root of any evil. “Don’t surrender” to the wrong. People holding higher positions in life who are duty bound by virtue of their designation, job role, pay packet and above all as a trend setting citizen need to practice what Sukhpreet has chosen to practice without preaching. This is particularly so when businessmen and officials in insurgency and violence prone places choose to subscribe to the ‘groups’ that are more underground than displaying both moral and physical courage that is expected of them by virtue of their official position. Though near and dear are there for all, and all go all out for their welfare, there are times when situations and duty warrants otherwise than playing the role of protector only to the nearer and dearer. While people holding high offices choose to fail the ‘sense of duty’ when the situation cried for it, it is years of crying that Sukhpreet chose to continue when she felt remotely duty bound to ensure safety of the nation that should be coming first for all especially those who swear on oath to protect it.

It is time not only to salute Sukhpreet but also the innumerable soldiers and their relatives who put the nation above many comforts by ‘choice’. In the end I also felt that the television media that was busy broadcasting elaborately the birthday of the actress who chose to leave Dhoni and pursued someone else to publicize as elaborately about the past sacrifices of Sukhpreet and her intent to continue the trend in the national interest. TV channels with their reach can start to be exemplary in national interest by focusing on real life heroines than of the tinsel world.       

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