UP's Anjani village has a thing for olive green & khaki

AGRA: Anjani, a nondescript village in Mainpuri district, may not have much to show off, except the fact that two-thirds of the saras crane population of the state resides in its vicinity. But little do people know that this village could well be the country’s pride, as the love of its residents for the military’s olive green and the ‘khaki’ is unparalleled.
The village is unique as each of the 350 odd families living here has one or more than one of its members serving the nation, either in the Army, the para military forces or the police.The village has a total population of 2000 and nearly 20 per cent of them, 350 jawans in Army, 20 in paramilitary forces and 15 in UP police, don the uniform everyday to serve the country.
The passion to wear the uniform and to serve the country is so strong here that even toddlers dream of doing the same. Incidentally, this craze for the ‘olive green’ and the passion to die for the country started in this village after it lost its brave son, Praveen Kumar Yadav, an Army jawan, in the Kargil conflict in 1999. Praveen’s martyrdom, in fact, changed peoples’ views about the army and the nation here.
“Main police wala, main Army jawan banoonga” (I’ll become a policeman or an Army jawan)”, say majority of youngsters of this village, which incidentally has several families that have serving as well as retired personnel from forces living under the same roof.
Rajendra Singh’s family is perhaps the best example of this passion, as eleven of his kin are associated with the forces. Though a lawyer himself, Rajindra’s two sons, two grandsons, two brothers and a nephew are serving in the Army while his elder brother and nephew retired from its some time back. Rajindra’s two other nephew are with the UP police.
Talking to TOI Rajindra said the martyrdom of Yadav changed the course of life for many youngsters in this village. “The respect that Yadav’s family got from the Army and the public at large got many youths attracted to serve in the forces," he said.
He said youths find Army a better alternative, as the uniform gives them respect, even if they are 12th pass. “There is no college near this village, so most youth drop out after class 12 and join the forces”, he said.
Interestingly, Rajindara’s house has five nameplates affixed on the parapet wall above the pillars of his house’s main entrance – Hav. Deepak Kumar Yadav (Army Aviation), Soren Singh (Artillery), Hav. Rakesh Chandra Yadav (Indian Army Artillery), Arvinder Kumar (Army Intelligence) and Yogendra (Army Intelligence). “I feel very proud when I see these everyday," he says.
Vinod Kumar, who is the teacher by profession, has his three sons serving in the Army. Though he himself also wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father, who was in the Army, he was denied permission, as he was the only son.
“But that didn’t deter me and I made sure that all my three children join the Army," he told TOI. He said the Army uniform gets one the respect and pride like no other job. It’s a proud feeling to serve the country."
Vinod said his Tinku, Nitin and Anoop are posted at Jammu, Dibrugarh (Assam) and Delhi respectively. “I’m now looking forward to my sons getting married to daughters of army personnel," he said with a smile. He said his uncle too is in the BSF.