Where is our Defence Ministry and what are they offering as gratitude?

By Bikram Vohra

Till yesterday I had no idea who Lance Naik Mohan Nath Goswami was. Then I read about the fact that this commando killed 10 insurgents in 11 days and then laid down his life when a bullet with his name on it found him.

He was killed in Kupwara district when Indian Special Forces in Kashmir exchanged heavy fire in the Hafruda forests.

And all I want to know is what is his family getting as compensation for his valour and how soon. Not that it’s any great solace to her right now, but just when will his widow, Bhavna, now in a Haldwani (UP) hospital out of shock, find the money flowing into her back account? That’s a question nobody is asking and nobody answering in all the heat and dust over the historic OROP declaration last Sunday.

For a moment when you want to critique your armed forces think of Lance Naik Goswami . Forget the furore over whether the Nehru Memorial Library and Museum is a dynastic monument.

Ignore the 11-day riot over a high society murder.

Snub that union minister who nattered on for no reason at all.

Pay attention to the real Indian.

This is the sort of gallantry that makes it worthwhile to take that OROP deal and hand it on a silver platter to these glorious men and women of our armed forces. All 1.2 billion people should stand up and salute him...they make movies about people like this.

That’s your soldier. Guts and Glory.

How many of our men went out and scored 10 hits in that many days and then went out again?

Imagine the mayhem those 10 terrorists could have engineered if it wasn’t for this man. How many hundreds of lives have been saved by this incredible man?

So, as Mark Anthony said, who will do him reverence?

Where is our Defence Ministry and what are they offering as gratitude?

I have not seen any talk show lauding him. Nothing about his funeral. Give him the country’s highest award for valour now... once his commanding officer has confirmed the heroism there is no need to wait.

Announce the ex gratia payment and ensure the nation that Lance Naik Goswami is the man of the hour.

Look into the eyes of his widow Bhavna and Bhumika, their seven-year-old daughter (in the accompanying file picture with Lance Naik Goswami). And ask only one question:

When will his widow get her revised OROP pension? No more, no less.