Memo to TV9: Don't give up

“Home they brought the warrior dead, unsung and unwept”

I had read this poem as student of eighth standard in the Municipal High School in my native Bellary. I do not remember either the name of the poet, or the circumstances under which he wrote or to whom he was addressing. I reckon it reflects the manner in which we treat martyrs.

A soldier who dies in action or fighting terrorists is brought home and buried with state honours, only to be forgotten the day after. No memorial; nor a street named after him, like it is done in the case of even a minor politician. how many of us today can name even a handful of the hundreds who sacrificed their lives for the country ?

In the Indo-Pak war, 1971, among those who died in action was a Mysore lad, Major Mutgekar, son of a senior official in the Railway Workshop. The day we heard of his loss I called on his parents in the Railway quarters.In fact, his father wiped my tears saying “ we are proud of our son“. As Correspondent of the Deccan Herald and Prajavani I initiated a campaign and had the issue raised in the then Municipal Council. All the councillors with one voice agreed that a street should be named after Mutgekar.

When nothing happened for months I contacted the Municipal President. He feigned ignorance, saying a new Council was in place after the elections and he did not know about the decision taken earlier. He however went through the proceedings of the meeting wherein the subject was discussed and showed me the proceedings; a demand was made for naming a street after Mutgekar, but no resolution was adopted. The municipal president agreed to consider the mattter when the issue naming any new street came up. But I gave up in disgust. Must admit I failed as a journalist, by not following up my own campaign.

Recently TV 9, a popular Kannada channel carried on a campaign to name the recently constructed Hebbal fly-over in Bangalore after Major Unnikrishnan. His parents live close by and the area was a favorite haunt of the army major. In its two-hour live telecast ministers, leaders of opposition parties,and others were interviewed and TV9 anchor, Mr Ranganath Bhardwaj, spoke to representatives of various organisations

Film stars, who with one voice, backed the TV 9 channel in calling for Government action. I wish TV 9 doesn't leave this here; would like to see their campaign taken to its logical conclusion,lest we forget Unnikrishnan and his sacrifice.