Page 40 - MAAN KI BAAT - ENGLISH

Guarding the Glory of Martyrs

The Story of Jitendra Singh

In the bustling city of Surat, far from the silence of the mountains
where sentinels keep watch, lives an unassuming security guard
named Jitendra Singh Rathore. For over two decades, he has been

guarding something far more profound than any building or estate—
he guards the memory of the nation’s martyrs, preserving their stories
with a devotion that redefines the very essence of patriotism.
Jitendra Singh’s journey began with a dream—a dream to serve the
nation as his father and forefathers had, as soldiers in the Indian Army.
But in 1999, during the Kargil War, he fell short by just one centimetre
in the physical examination of the army recruitment. Heartbroken
but not defeated, he found his purpose soon after in the words of a

grieving father. He read about the father of Martyr Arjun Ram Baswana,
who said, “What if my son is gone, the country is safe, isn’t it?” That
single statement ignited in Jitendra a flame of purpose—a calling to

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