Why not respect and salute others

Most of us do good enough sacrifices for our profession and in turn for the nation, equal, if not more than any other who commands additional respect for what they have done.

Given, that for some professions constant respect and cheering may be needed to keep their moral high. And they do get it in loads. Fair.

I, first hand know of colleagues who encountered death or near death experiences performing their duties during their profession which they would not have undertaken for any other cause.

I know of people falling into turbulent sea and dying, I have seen myself someone almost getting crushed between hulls while jumping from one vessel to another in rough ocean, I have known people directly jumping 300 feet into waters because the platform or the rig they were on had caught fire which would even melt metal.

I have seen colleague firemen braving and risking life, plugging that bloody leaky valve which otherwise could have resulted in another undesired tragic mega-disaster like Deepwater Horizon or Piper Alpha. Their act stopped it from becoming a global negative news story for the profession and for the nation. That is.

And I have also seen my friends in situ experiencing some of the worst helicopter accidents when their commute to offshore work place turned into nightmare with the chopper ferrying them falling and ditching into sea. Many died, morned only within local private professional and family circles.

All this while performing their duties in their respective professional Front Lines. They all are patriots too if that’s what's needed to be one. Let’s not unduly raise one profession in rank above other. 

A postmen in tribal hinterland risking life daily, a municipal worker almost diving into a poisonous sewer or a bureaucrat spending fortnight away from family holed up in office preparing country’s budget, a lowly traffic cop standing in sun for hours crushing even urge for nature’s call, a teacher, I personally know, walking 5 kilometres up and down on hills of Shimla to reach her school and many so who are also doing their arduous duty, of course for the nation. We can call it patriotic too to give that chest blowing feel. 

They all need respect.