Me, a BSF kid... a Haider from the other side.
It has been a very sad day for me. The carnage of Pulwama makes me feel for many loved ones of CRPF soldiers waiting at homes .... My father spent his youth and childhood phase of my life in Kashmir from mid-80s to mid-90s. He served in BSF. We rarely had any whereabouts of him except his address being 56 APO (Army Post Office). And every evening during those years was filled with fear of listening some bad news on television. Twice a year he would come home for nearly a month on each visit. Still feel the pain during instances of him leaving home after having spent his vacation time at home. The pains in my heart used to be unbearable. My younger brother and sister used to cry more than me. My mother would again be faced with the double responsibility of taking care of kids. She used to put her brave face in front of us. Now me in the similar age as of my father during those days, I can feel what he also might be going through. He was a soft heart and used to shed tears even...