Longewala in Rajasthan, an military post on the Indian side bordering Pakistan, approximately 15 KM from the border hosts a small museum with the artillery that was used during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971, couple of Pakistani tankers that were captured during the war and the memorial that bore the name of the mighty warriors who laid their life to protect this great Nation. It also housed a small bunker with a projector room with a video on the war that showed bravery and leadership second to none. The video that was played did raise goose-bumps and a few tears from the emotional ones.
Well, yes a vacation for three families. A hard earned one to escape the concrete jungle and the corporate world of stressful chaos. Jaisalmer it was, the golden city sure is a feast to the eye with love for craftsmanship and architecture. The cozy hotel that we stayed in also provided a travel desk with an itinerary of places to visit. The Forts, the sandstone buildings, market place with wall hangings and decors, I hardly saw any painted buildings and houses but the sandstone walls did give a golden colour and my wife joked on the nil expense these folks would incur on painting their houses.
Ah, did I forget to mention the guide who was arranged for the first day? Well, guides sure need some serious talent; one, they would be reciting similar scripts over and over again but with almost enthusiasm to keep the tourist’s attention. Secondly the guts to exaggerate the script with stress, pause and some drama without any shyness to the onlookers who probably are friends and acquaintance. I did catch some onlookers who gave away giggles seeing our guide's enacted dramas. Not to mention the way he pronounced my wife’s name ‘SARRASSWAATHIII JIIIII”, which did amuse all of us.
The final day of our stay in Jaisalmer was the travel to Longewala en route a temple with a significance of being herald with bombs to destroy but these bombs did not explode. The temple housed these defused bombs which sure did attract a lot of spiritual connotations for the malfunctioning of the bombs.
Long drive in the Thar desert was sure taxing, we had to stock a lot of liquid on board and some grub. Scarce vegetation and sand dunes on both sides of the road did make the 'all girls kids team' a little cranky. The daughter were happy to pull off all the pranks on the Dads as all the Moms dozed off in their seats. I could definitely feel the anxiety one would go through when lost in these deserts; absolutely no way to indicate any signage for rescue with the wind constantly changing the landscape and the ever eroding sand dunes.
Bumpy roads towards the end of the journey did wake up the women folk, the harsh weather and the landscape must have taken the toll on roads. Few temporary shelters housing the people working on mending these roads, the final stretch before our destination. As we slowly went past these bumpy roads, we saw a bunch of children seeking alms, probably living in these shelters but the driver did not give heed even though they further slowed down the vehicle by narrowing the road on both sides.
As we were contemplating on, sharing the food and water we had on board with these kids we hit another bunch in 200m meters or so from the first bunch, but these kids had a sense of arrogance and banged the vehicle as it slowly went past them. A fit of rage that took over our driver, as he swung open the door and dashed towards the kids. The kids as if they expected, quick scattered themselves to a safer distance and laughed at our driver. An uneasy feeling, that too with kids on board crept in as I saw few men jut out of the nearby trench towards our vehicle and quickly for some reason slowed down and scattered. By their looks, these men may be in the late teens or early twenties is what I felt.
Another kilometre or so was the Longewala post with full of pride, soldiers ready to stand on the firing line and sacrifice their life to stop intruders from invading our Mother land. Gentlemen with valour and extremely humble, simply commanded respect with their conduct, of course kindles a lot of patriotic feelings.
The return was on a different route, a highway to catchup on some mirage. All of our discussions were reflecting on the Longewala post, its museum and in general the soldiers in the defence force; slowly one by one drifted into our own thoughts and few dozed off.
My thoughts swung a little further, few kilometres before we reached the Longewala post, the men from the trench advancing towards us which definitely was not a good sign. Probably the sheer number of people and not so badly built men folk in the vehicle could have put them off. But I was sure the way these men advanced towards us was definitely not in good intent. Wondered if there was some casualties by these men to other smaller group of travellers or tourists.
As the heading suggests, just ‘yards away from the protectors’, probably yard may be a exaggerated term but definitely couple of kilometres from the military post that protected the people of our Nation to the people inflicting danger from within. An irony for this great nation, with soldiers with such valour that we are so proud of, patrolling the borders to a bunch of very young men (may be for their needs) looking for opportunities to harm the people within. Both these extremes just yards away from each other…
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