On a chilly morning, while traveling to Leh from Kargil, I noticed a few labourers of the Border Roads Organization (BRO) at the heights of Photu la and Namik la. The temperature was -16 degree Celsius and those workers were on to their daily duties of road maintenance. Among those, I observed one lady (perhaps from the Central India) who was busy with her routine duties. Carrying a broom in her hand she was cleaning the road, of the debris that falls on the road as shooting stones and slides. Apart from the broom, she was also carrying a bundle of firewood tied to her back, perhaps to light a fire by the roadside for keeping herself and her companions warm amidst the chilly weather. I was awestruck and a sense of gratitude took over me ! What conditions would have compelled her and her fellow workers to travel thousands of miles to the harsh conditions of Ladakh to make a living, I thought. Certainly, it wouldn't be a choice she made out of her sheer will ! Our lives are similar...