The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : A movement to lift image of Armed Forces

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Oct 15, 2006
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

A movement to lift image of Armed Forces

His Namrata aims to shape the national will

At 63, Commodore (Retd.) S. Shekhar has started a movement called `Namrata' (the National Movement for the Restoration of Appreciation Trust and Honour to Armed Forces).

He tells L. Srikrishna what Namrata stands for and outlines its plans and objectives.

The former army man feels that we, the people of India, lack sufficient awareness of the Armed Forces.

This drove him to float the National Movement for the Restoration of Appreciation Trust and Honour to Armed Forces, which is modelled on the freedom movement.

"I am making an effort to propagate the merits of the Armed Forces by reaching out to all segments in society. In my long career with the Indian Navy, I learnt honesty, integrity and discipline."

The foremost issue is the need to a change in the mindset of the people. Not many are aware of how superior the logistics available with the Indian Armed Forces is.

Only persons who have served the Armed Forces will be able to disseminate the country's defence capabilities.

The rationale of Namrata is that increasing awareness of the Armed Forces would help shape the national will.

"The Armed Forces can deliver what the nation wants, and the need of the hour is to take the message to the people through the right medium. Today, we have enviable shipbuilding facilities that include the capability to build state-of-the-art submarines. We must be proud of them." But, not many citizens, including parliamentarians, are aware of this fact, he says.

According to Commodore Shekhar, though World War II saw the destruction of Germany and Japan, in a span of over six decades the two countries had come up in all spheres.

In the case of countries such as the U.S., U.K., or Russia, the national leadership had the experience of having served in the Armed Forces.

"We have not honoured the Armed Forces as we should have," he says.

In our country, politicians pay rich tributes and homage at the memorials of departed leaders, but how many war memorials are honoured, he asks.

Every village in our country has been contributing 10 to 15 people to the Armed Forces. When these people retire and go back to the villages, they should be allowed and encouraged to contribute to nation building at the grass roots.

Commodore Shekhar has been addressing students with the message: "The Government may owe us nothing, but we should contribute to the nation."

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