He sews shrouds for Kargil martyrs

AMBALA, June 28: Sixty-year-old Gurdip Singh has spent over 43 satisfying years in his tiny shop in Rai Market, weaving and embroidering various kinds of flags, emblems and insignia for the Indian Army and the Air Force at the Cantonments here and in Chandimandir. These days, however, in Singh8217;s satisfaction over doing his job well, is also a tinge of remorse for he is busy stitching tri-colours which will be taken to Kargil only to return as shrouds of the martyrs.

quot;I started this shop in 1956, immediately after I completed matric and ever since I have been working regularly on orders from the Army and the Air Force supplying all kinds of car flags, flags for quarter-guards, flags for units, the ones they put at posts, those pocket blazers, these ranks for officers,8221; he says proudly pointing at the samples that deck the walls of his tiny store: Liberty Embroiders, Established 1956.

Singh says he has been a supplier to the forces in peace time, in the three wars that India fought: against China in 1962, against Pakistan in 1965 and 1971, and in the various anti-insurgency operations, yet he does not remember supplying shrouds at this rate. quot;It was only last week that I supplied them 50 flags, now within the next two days, I have to fulfil the order of another 35 flags for supplying to the N-Area in Chandigarh. So many flags for covering the bodies in so little time!quot; says a grim-faced Singh from behind the wheel of his sewing machine.

Singh wishes that the battle at Kargil comes to an end soon, and the only order he now wishes for from the Army is quot;the flags that they put up at posts when they capture themquot; and not any more shrouds.