Southern States
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Tamil Nadu-Chennai
A lone piper's tribute
AT 11.15 A.M. sharp on a moderately-hot Saturday, an old Englishman wearing a Scottish kilt played the bagpipe at the Madras War Cemetery in Nandambakkam.
Now, pick the correct answer. A: The man is crazy. B: He is on a mission possible and C: He is fed up with wars, now making a personal tribute to the dead soldiers.
All the answers are correct.
William Edward Jenkins' two sons think he is nuts; he is on a `pilgrimage' to all the war cemeteries in India; and yes, he is disillusioned with wars - his shirt carried the embroidered message ``Lest we forget - (1914-1917) and (1939-1945)''.
In 1991, the Brit from Liverpool visited over 20,000 war graves in Greece, playing his pipe and saluting the memory of all the unknown soldiers en route. A sojourn that earned him his `lone piper' nickname.
And it was in between those war tunes and untraversed roads that he discovered a tiny Monistir Road Indian cemetery and memorial on the outskirts of Thessoloniki town in Greece. There, he made a promise to the memories of 357 Indian soldiers that he would visit all the war graves in their homeland. The soldiers were killed in action during the World War I. Ten years after he bagpiped a vow, the man arrived in India in October. He then travelled from the bowels of Bombay to the madness of Madras, visiting 19 cemeteries in the process. Chennai, his last stop before uniting with his family.
Do not ask why to Jenkins. ``No particular reason. I am just paying a tribute to all these young soldiers, who sacrificed their lives for our tomorrow. I am a great grandfather today. I now look back at these fine lads. If they had survived, they too would have been grand dads,'' he says before the words turn too feeble for us to follow.
The Scottish kilt and the decorations also hide a soldier beneath. He served the Royal Marines of Her Majesty.
His dread for war dates way back. In 1941, when Jenkins was still a six-year-old and did not know to play the bagpipe yet, he witnessed the World War II happening right over Liverpool. His father was killed in an air raid, and both their English mansions were bombed. ``I still remember the days of cringing in cellars, waiting for the next bomb to fall. I also remember the promise made to the soldiers that they were fighting a war to stop all wars. They were all cheated''.
And after his family gave in to his ways, he took on his pilgrimage. His Indian adventure is probably a bit tougher than his Greek trek. ``Language was problem in a few places, particularly at the lodges where I stayed. But overall, I did not have any major problem''.
He fondly remembers the song that a little one requested him to play in Bowanipur war cemetery in Kolkata. Also a group photo he clicked with villagers in Guwahati.
The Saturday service at Nandambakkam was attended by British Deputy High Commissioner Mr. Michael Herridge.
He will leave for Goa in a couple of days. Jenkins has completed his pilgrimage. ``I am old. But, I have itchy feet''.
By Karthik Subramanian
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