recognising ns men

the life and time of ns men are in a way acquired by the state like the acquisition of land. during those ns days, including reservist training, the time and life of the ns men belonged to the state. and in turn they were given a miserable stipends. when the nation was less well off, everyone understood and would not dare to put too much demand on the state. today the state is rich, very rich. and rightly the state too thinks that it should show some real recognition and reward those who have given their time and life to the nation. for should there be a crisis, these young men will be the one to defend, fight and die for the nation. the current procedure of sending a letter to a nsman informing him of his completion of all his ns liabilities need to be done better to recognise the contributions of the nsmen. a proper certificate, a medal, and perhaps some monetary incentive will not be inappropriate to those who reach 45 or 50 and no longer need to serve the nation through ns. it is a big moment in the life of an nsmen who has served his country in the most honourable way that is expected of him. the occasion, the moment, must bear some significance to an equally important event. ritual is something that is lacking in our young nation. we need to create and develop more rituals to remember significant moments of our lives and history. and with all the pioneers and earlier batches still alive and kicking, their sacrifices must also be recognised and be rewarded accordingly.