Remembering

Remembrance Day (Veteran’s Day in the US) is a day to remember soldiers who lost their lives fighting in wars. War is supposed to be something so terrible that our knees should start to shake when hearing the word. But it’s not. The Great War(WWI) caused so much death, destruction and suffering, was dubbed as the war to end all wars. What people heard about the conditions in the trenches and no-man’s land horrified them so much they thought no one will have the courage to pick up a gun again.

They were wrong. The world did not learn anything and after a few short years it started all over again. There have been many more conflicts since then with an even greater death toll that continues to mount to this day. It’s clear: war is here to stay, it has been with us since the stone age, it has become a part of us and will continue to plague the world till the end of time.

Until recently Hollywood has always portrayed war as glorious and romantic. But for a long time literature has shed light on the other side, the misery and suffering soldiers go though in combat. A big chunk of literature taught in Canada starting from high school is primarily anti-war. I don’t know if this is what they teach in other countries, it just might be a reflection of what Canada is as a nation.

Until the world leaders realize the value of human life and try to curb this madness known as war, remembering the dead will remain meaningless. Millions of people worldwide go hungry everyday and charities beg for donations, while billions of dollars are being spent on military technology and hardware.

We had Remembrance Day ceremonies at Khalsa School which got bigger and better every year. Sikh veterans who fought for the British used to come in and talk about their experiences in front of the whole school. This was the one day we all sang O Canada and In Flanders Field. (I’m sure a lot of the kids thought about Ned Flanders more than the poem)

The November 1992 Remembrance Day was the most memorable. Onkar Singh marched into the Gurdwara(where the library is now) in his Irish Fusiliers cadet uniform just when they were about to read In Flanders Field. Dr Khalsa then gave a lecture about war and how it’s important to remember the people who sacrifices their lives for a just cause.

Since it's a day to remember, it might be a good idea to also remember the men, women and children who stood up to face oppression, were targeted and brutally killed in the name of national interest in India since the late 70's. The only way to remember them is to try to lead a life the way they did. Otherwise remembering them just for the sake of remembrance too, is futile.