Memories in mind and heart

Last month I and my wife had a chance to visit Newyork city. When I landed at the Airport , the very name of the airport brought some old memories to my mind. John F Kennedy was the most popular US President in India during his time. When China waged a war against India in 1962 claiming territorial rights India met it with a pathetic answer. Jawaharlal Nehru the then PM of India never anticipated this type of aggression from China and he was not at all prepared for a war. USSR the then close friend of India was very hesitant to involve itself because it did not want to sever its relations with China another communist nation. As India was facing an inglorious defeat, Nehru had no other option than to seek the help of the US. John F Kennedy came to the immediate rescue of India by supplying modern war planes and ammunition. It is said that he even consulted his diplomats to use nuclear bombs against China. Because of this the war came to an end. After the war John F Kennedy became the dear icon of Indians. When he was assassinated total India was shocked and even didn’t want to believe that he was dead. On his funeral day, even in the remote villages in India his portrait was displayed almost in every house as a mark of tribute to a friend who stretched his hands during the hour of need. Memories of John F Kennedy still breezing in my mind.

The statue of George Washington at Federal Park took me to my schooling days. As a student of history , George Washington is one of my favourite heroes in history. The way he fought against the British troops showed his intelligence and bravery. Even after his defeat in Newyork city he didn’t lost his hope and he once again bounced at New Jersy and made the British army to withdraw. After he became the first President of Federal States , he proved his ability in administration and made US as a strong and dominant nation. We took a photograph with my hero who still stands high in my mind!

But the memories of Tsunami devastation that happened in our country during 2004,some gruesome bomb blasts that took lives of many innocent people , the way our brethren were treated and murdered in Srilanka and the gruesome incident that took place at WTC(9/11) are not in my mind. They are in my heart. To the every beat of my heart these memories will come out and make me sad. When we visited the memorial at WTC I couldn’t control my feelings. When I touched the names that were carved on the memorial, my heart became heavy. What wrong these innocent people did? Within seconds their dreams ,plans , wishes ,their commitments and everything came to an end. No another incident like this should happen anywhere in the world. Water is not pouring in the memorial .It is the tears of the humanity ! Memories in the mind can be cherished, not in the heart!