Said Aditya: ``Crores are being spent on our cricketers. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the same companies were to set aside an equally big amount for war widows?'' The very next morning, I read an announcement that was most encouraging. The Indian Merchants' Chamber had decided to adopt families of jawans killed in action at Kargil. Other individuals, too, got the ball rolling with generous contributions.

It is time to re-examine our perspectives and get our priorities right. Nobody grudges our boys their fat endorsement fees. But our real heroes are elsewhere, trapped in desolate terrain, fighting afar bigger battle -- not with bats and balls, but guns and grenades. When these boys get out, it's for good. Ironically enough, the ``enemy'' remains the same, whether at Kargil or Lord's. While we lavish praise on our players and pamper them with crores, why not spare even a small percentage of those riches for our courageous soldiers? Before we say curtains to Kargil (and who knows how long that's going to take), and curtains to the World Cup (no uncertainty of dates here), let us pledge our unstinted support to the unsung soldier.