Srinagar: “Thank you for standing in the cold for us”, “Do not die, live for us”, “I will become you one day” – read some of the postcards sent by children to soldiers at the Line of Control ahead of Independence Day.
Playing the role of messengers were a banker couple based in Chandigarh who wanted to convey the feelings of school children to the bravehearts of the country guarding the border in extreme weather conditions.
Rakhis for soldiers, coins from children’s piggy banks and heart-warming videos carrying messages for the servicemen also accompanied the postcards.
“They (soldiers) protect us by fighting on the borders and the festival of Rakshabandhan symbolises a promise of protection by the brother. Who can be a better example of keeping this promise than those from the forces,” says Rinkal Kapoor, who has been travelling to army stations located at Macchil, Handwara and Gurez in North Kashmir along with her husband Sham Balana.
“So, we decided to take the rakhis from school-going children along with their soulful messages for our soldiers. I was overwhelmed when one of the kids’ offered coins from his piggy bank and also decided to make a ‘pocket’ in the greeting card to keep the coins,” she said.
The banker couple has visited various forward posts and tied ‘rakhis’ sent by children to the jawans. “The bond is simply beautiful. The army personnel were overwhelmed with emotions,” she said.
Subedar S S Bishnoi, posted at a forward location in North Kashmir, was speechless with the handmade greeting card handed over to him from a class three student of Zirakpur.
“I can only say thank you very much to the kids for showering this love on us,” he said.
An officer at the same location read out the messages to his jawans and said, “The army is a highly motivated force but on days like festivals, they miss their family members. But these messages and ‘rakhis’ have made our day.” (PTI)