| Kargil
Donating Rs. 51,000 for the Kargil
victims only form a part of the numerous
efforts Mehndi made to help the victims
of the war and Indian soldiers taking
part in the war. Sending all the proceeds
of a show and meeting the soldiers
going off to the border constitute
some more of his philanthropic actions.
While some of them were given lessons
on remaining calm, others received
measured pep talks from Mehndi and
the rest got a feast as Mehndi sang
for them. He also followed this up
with a donation of Rs. 12 lakh as
part of to the National Defence Fund
for the families of the martyrs of
the war. A sum of Rs. 15,000 was also
given to injured soldiers in the operation.
He along with his
brother, Ustad Shamsher Singh and
friend Anand adopted 11 children,
orphaned in the Kargil operation helping
the children with their education.
He also contributed Rs. 5,70,000,
which was distributed between 24 families.
I am ready to go to the battle
front: Daler Mehndi
New Delhi Railway Station: The Shalimar Express stands by as sombre
Army personnel look for their compartments. The loudspeakers play
patriotic songs, and the mood is heavy. And then the star arrives. And the platform becomes
his stage.
Daler Mehndi is the
star and the audience - Kargil-bound
jawans boarding two bogeys of the
train. The sudden appearance of Daler
Mehndi may have created a sensation
among general passengers. The soldiers,
however, remained unruffled.
Sporting an orange
turban and a white robe, the star
had dressed in the national colors
for the occasion. On board, the soldiers
knew someone important was coming
to see them off. Hailing from places
far away from the Punjabi heartland,
many professed ignorance about the
pop icon.
Food cartons distributed
by Maurya Sheraton arrive. There are
snacks, medicines and first-aid kits
inside. With his long white robe trailing
Mehndi swishes into the train already
crammed with the jawans, their luggage
and curious onlookers. Mostly nonplussed,
they welcome him with hugs and smiles.
He breaks into Sade
naal rahoge to aish karoge. The soldiers,
many of whom are unfamiliar with Punjabi
rhythms, join in, a little uneasily,
and the patriotic songs being played
over the radio are drowned in the
melee.
"All the soldiers
are like my brothers and if necessary,
I am ready to go to the front,"
Daler told reporters. The visit to
the railway station is a symbol of
artists' solidarity with soldiers,
said Daler. "Aisa sending-off
hona chahiye. Is se pata chalta hai
ki desh Army ke sangh hai, (We should
send them off like this, only this
way can we show that we are with them)"
says one passenger Prem Singh, politely
appreciative of the singer's efforts.
Daler gets down from the train and
breaks into impromptu dance and others
join in.
Express News Service, July 6, 1999
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