BOMBAY TIMES (September 20, 2016)

The deadly Uri attack in which 17 Indian Army soldiers were killed has shaken up our nation. In the wake of that terrifying incident, Akshay Kumar, who has always shown his deep respect and support for the Armed Forces, stresses that felicitating our martyrs is great, but it's far from enough.

When he was in Delhi last month, he was invited for an event to felicitate soldiers who sacrificed their lives at the border and present plaques to their families. Though he strongly believes that Indian soldiers should be honoured, at the same time he also feels they don't need just the commemorations.

Pointing out that most of them come from humble backgrounds and in many cases, they are the only earning members of their families, he had said, “They are decorated with lot of medals and that is good. But I looked at their faces. The samman was required for them but they need money too. You have to be practical. I thought how about supporting them financially and that is when I decided to do my bit for each family present there.“

Given that our soldiers sacrifice their lives for us, and their families need money to survive after them, Akshay emphasises our duty to do something for them too. In lieu of the Uri terror attack, he urges everyone to come forward to do their bit beyond just applauding our heroes and praying for their families.