The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Ex-serviceman cycles for Indo-Pak amity

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 28, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Ex-serviceman cycles for Indo-Pak amity

By Ravi Reddy

Nathu Prasad Nainwal

NIZAMABAD, APRIL 27. Pained by frequent tension on the India-Pakistan border in Kashmir and death of Indian soldiers fighting on the Line of Control (LoC), 71-year-old Nathu Prasad Nainwal, a retired subedar of the Indian Army, has embarked on a cycle yatra across the country to spread the message of peace and brotherhood.

When most people his age were enjoying a peaceful retired life, Subedar Nainwal, from Pauri Garhwal district of Uttaranchal State had other things on his mind. The continued tension on the LoC, a sense of insecurity among the families of the soldiers guarding the borders, death of young soldiers fighting for their motherland and the Kargil war, upset the former armyman, who fought against China in the 1962 war. The Kargil war spurred him to launch a cycle yatra in the country.

Subedar Nainwal was in Nizamabad on Saturday on his way to Kanyakumari in Tamilnadu, when he spoke to The Hindu.

He had served in the Indian Army for 13 years when his stint in the armed forces was cut short during the Chinese aggression after a bullet hit him. He was injured on his abdomen and had to be admitted in a hospital for treatment. Once he recovered, Subebar Nainwal was compulsorily retired by the medical board.

A member of the All-India Ex-servicemen League, an organisation looking after the welfare of the retired personnel from the armed forces, Subedar Nainwal, pointed out that he was pained at the way the Indian Government handled the Kargil situation. "I was watching television when my wife, Bhooma Devi, rushed in and told me about the Kargil war,'' he said adding, "Immediately I decided to do my bit by taking up a cycle yatra."

After the launch of the yatra, he has been out of Pauri Garhwal on and off. This time he commenced the cycle yatra from his native place in February this year. "I started off on the peace mission and thought the cycle yatra was the best way to meet the people and explain to them the need to respect the armed forces personnel and also strive hard to maintain peace and harmony,'' Subedar Nainwal explained. He has so far covered Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Maharastra before entering Andhra Pradesh in Adilabad district. He would end his yatra in Kanyakumari and return to Chennai where a large gathering of retired army men is scheduled to meet him on June 15.

Subedar Nainwal lashed out at the rulers for their mishandling of the Kargil situation. "Corruption, bribes, communal tension and failure of the Government to end hunger is all causing untold misery on the common man,'' he said pointing out that the Government should not force the two crore armed personnel to take to up weapons.

He accused the politicians of amassing wealth at the cost of the common man. He feels that some parties are deliberately raking up communal tension.

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