<p>I was born in 1958. There is nothing great about it, but I have seen five major wars that India fought. Wars that were won or lost, led to glory or despair. My involvement was that of being a responsible citizen encouraging our soldiers or sharing their sadness.</p>.<p>There is nothing much I can say about the 1962 Indo–China war, as I was only four years old. The movie <span class="italic">Haqueeqat</span> portrays all the hardships we faced. The 1965 Indo-Pak war was a war India won at a cost. I lived in Dharwad at that time. All India Radio kept us informed about the exploits of Abdul Hamid and his comrades. The patriotic fervour was everywhere.</p>.<p>The first time I felt the real effects of the war was in 1971. In those days, Bangalore was a hub of defence-related industries like HAL, ITI, BEL, DRDO, LRDE etc. Defending the city from a possible air attack was important for the government. There were blackouts in the night for a prolonged time. All windows were to be blackened. At the sound of the siren, all lights were to be put off and we had to come out onto the streets. If it was life and death for our forces, the blackouts were fun for children. Radio and newspapers were the only sources of war news. We all cheered when Dhaka fell. Pakistan surrendered and a new nation, Bangladesh, was born. Of course, we would never miss the newsreel at the beginning of a movie to watch our forces in action.</p>.<p>In 1991, it was the Kargil war where our forces fought the enemy while we fought it in our drawing rooms. The war was brought live by many TV channels. The names Vikram Batra, Yogendra Yadav, Manoj Pandey and many more became household. We mourned silently as the coffins draped in tricolour were brought home. Unfortunately, we all became experts in war games too. We criticised or lauded those involved, according to our views and affiliations. It led to conflicts in the family and among friends. </p>.<p>These four wars spread over five decades had their own effect on me. My respect for our forces increased. I felt that their victories and losses were my own. I could have been a part of one of these wars if not for vehement opposition by my grandfather, which I deeply regret. </p>.<p>Then came 2020, when we began our war against an invisible enemy. The battlefields were our hospitals and homes. Doctors, nurses and paramedics became our Covid-19 ‘warriors’, though they were woefully ill-equipped against the enemy. Sanitation workers, cremation workers, municipal workers joined ranks for the battle. I too was wounded by the enemy though not in active war. We will have to fight this war for long with the firm belief that we will win. Perhaps we, the people, have a larger role to play here in combating the enemy than all the previous wars.</p>.<p><strong>Check out the latest videos from <i data-stringify-type="italic">DH</i>:</strong></p>
<p>I was born in 1958. There is nothing great about it, but I have seen five major wars that India fought. Wars that were won or lost, led to glory or despair. My involvement was that of being a responsible citizen encouraging our soldiers or sharing their sadness.</p>.<p>There is nothing much I can say about the 1962 Indo–China war, as I was only four years old. The movie <span class="italic">Haqueeqat</span> portrays all the hardships we faced. The 1965 Indo-Pak war was a war India won at a cost. I lived in Dharwad at that time. All India Radio kept us informed about the exploits of Abdul Hamid and his comrades. The patriotic fervour was everywhere.</p>.<p>The first time I felt the real effects of the war was in 1971. In those days, Bangalore was a hub of defence-related industries like HAL, ITI, BEL, DRDO, LRDE etc. Defending the city from a possible air attack was important for the government. There were blackouts in the night for a prolonged time. All windows were to be blackened. At the sound of the siren, all lights were to be put off and we had to come out onto the streets. If it was life and death for our forces, the blackouts were fun for children. Radio and newspapers were the only sources of war news. We all cheered when Dhaka fell. Pakistan surrendered and a new nation, Bangladesh, was born. Of course, we would never miss the newsreel at the beginning of a movie to watch our forces in action.</p>.<p>In 1991, it was the Kargil war where our forces fought the enemy while we fought it in our drawing rooms. The war was brought live by many TV channels. The names Vikram Batra, Yogendra Yadav, Manoj Pandey and many more became household. We mourned silently as the coffins draped in tricolour were brought home. Unfortunately, we all became experts in war games too. We criticised or lauded those involved, according to our views and affiliations. It led to conflicts in the family and among friends. </p>.<p>These four wars spread over five decades had their own effect on me. My respect for our forces increased. I felt that their victories and losses were my own. I could have been a part of one of these wars if not for vehement opposition by my grandfather, which I deeply regret. </p>.<p>Then came 2020, when we began our war against an invisible enemy. The battlefields were our hospitals and homes. Doctors, nurses and paramedics became our Covid-19 ‘warriors’, though they were woefully ill-equipped against the enemy. Sanitation workers, cremation workers, municipal workers joined ranks for the battle. I too was wounded by the enemy though not in active war. We will have to fight this war for long with the firm belief that we will win. Perhaps we, the people, have a larger role to play here in combating the enemy than all the previous wars.</p>.<p><strong>Check out the latest videos from <i data-stringify-type="italic">DH</i>:</strong></p>