India needs a patriot, but not in the television studio
After listing out all the benefits that Mahadevi Koppad had received from the government and the Indian Army, we started the campaign to get her a job which was assured to her by the Government.
There are bound to be difficulties when one raises an issue and wants to fulfill a cause. Two weeks back when OneIndia decided to start a campaign for Siachen braveheart, Hanumanthappa Koppad's wife, Mahadevi, the response was terrific. After listing out all the benefits that Mahadevi Koppad had received from the government and the Indian Army, we started the campaign to get her a job which was assured to her by the Government of Karnataka.
As pointed out earlier, every campaign has its own difficulties and two attempts were made to derail the same. It began with a very disturbing call on Tuesday in which the person told me, " why don't you take along a few television channels and blame Modi and pressurise the centre to get her a job. The state cannot give her one." A reminder that it was the state which had promised her a job did not clearly work as the gentleman did not appear to be convinced.
[Siachen braveheart: Will sweep the floor, but give me a job, pleads Hanumanthappa's wife]
There was also one argument on Twitter and Facebook that the CM never assured her of a job. And when we posted a video proving our claim, the narrative changed to the state cannot give a job as it would set a precedent. If it does then let it set one. After all the CM, you and I are safe because of our bravehearts.
It is a whole other story that exactly 12 hours after that call, Mahadevi was assured of a government job and told that her appointment letter would reach her in exactly 30 days. Our job was done.
A key issue that needs to be noted here is that our great nation, India, Hindustan, Bharat has patriots in the television studios. The ones who need to self certify themselves as Patriots and find the desperate need to scream on prime time about how concerned they are about the Army. Does this mean that the ones who do not scream are not patriots. Then come the analysts who also want to have their say despite forgetting that February 11 was his first death anniversary. I clearly recollect how much these persons had spoken the day he passed away, well again on television.
[Is asking for a job too much? We say no, Hanumanthappa's wife deserves independent, dignified life]
It is easy to have an opinion or try and derail a campaign without even reading the content of the story. This is a classic social media disease, where an opinion is made and a verdict passed on the basis of the headline. The big debate on the social media was that Mahadevi had received compensation, despite which she was complaining.
For my lesser informed friends, she had thanked the government and the Army for the compensation. All she sought was a job so that she could live a life of dignity. These self certified patriots need to understand that living in a village after one has lost her husband is not easy. There are stories of how family members have usurped compensation money. Mahadevi has a long way to go and has a very young daughter to raise. She wants to earn her own money and live a life of dignity.
If we at OneIndia helped her realise her dream, then no analyst or self certified patriot has the right to question it. We will stand by our campaign until the job is done. She has been told by the district administration in Hubbali that her appointment letter will reach her in a month. If it does not, then we will be the first to raise the issue once again. As pointed out, the campaign will end the day she gets her job as assured by the Chief Minister.
Before signing out, OneIndia would like to pay a tribute to these ten brave men who laid down their lives in the line of duty at the deadly Siachen Glacier in February 2016.
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Subedar
Nagesha,
Karnataka
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Havildar
Elumalai,
Tamil
Nadu
-
Lance
Havildar
S
Kumar,
Tamil
Nadu
-
Lance
Naik
Sudheesh,
Kerala.
-
Lance
Naik
Hanamanthappa
Koppad,
Karnataka
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Sepoy
Mahesha
P
N,
Karnataka
-
Sepoy
Ganesan
G,
Tamil
Nadu
-
Sepoy
Rama
Moorthy,
Tamil
Nadu
-
Sep
Mustaq
Ahmed
S,
Andhra
Pradesh
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Sepoy
Nursing
Assistant
Suryawanshi,
Maharashtra
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