The Beret Cap.

It was March 2022. I stood by the foot-path amidst the traffic, to cross the road. That part of the city has always been busy. Narrow road, no zebra crossing and no traffic light; and your only resort was to show your palm and start walking, also keep analyzing the speed of the coming vehicle and adjust your momentum to dodge it at the right time. I was very sure, it was not happening. No one was ever slowing down, as all were in a race; a race that no body ever won. At that very point of time an Olive-Green Maruti Suzuki Gypsy stops in the middle of the road and bring the traffic to a halt. A young-man, sporting a beret cap and a camouflage uniform, from behind the wind-shield indicates me to cross the road. I felt touched with this gesture of his. I gave him a swift salute and he too responded me with the same as I had crossed the road. Its quite inherent; we think different when in a car and quite opposite when we are a pedestrian.

Its June 2022 and the government properties are on fire. The aspirants discontent had led to all these. A huge question mark was therefore raised on the credibility of these young men, which was quite justified. A protest is an option but this just turned out to be a sacrilege to the reputation they would hold. I'm not quite getting into the details of the terms of the 'Agnipath Scheme' as any decision, at any point of time would have a segment of the population still disappointed.

A great gesture from Indian industrialists as they assured these men jobs once they complete their 'Agniveer' term. However, will this term actually change them from the person they are in June 2022 to the young-man I had come across in March 2022?