I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish that He didn’t trust me so much ~ Mother Teresa
I am sharing a real life story of courage, confidence and determination. A young soldier was severely incapacitated in the Siachen glacier region also known as the world’s highest battle field situated at an average altitude of 18,000 feet above sea level. An account of the incident is given below in the newspaper item:
The army provided singular support to Major Rajesh by way of intensive medical care and a suitable employment in the army to rehabilitate him. But despite the physical and mental challenges Rajesh Mehta continued doing his work devotedly and always with a helpful attitude. He is known to be an officer with a smiling demeanor who never says yet finds solutions to problems of soldiers.
In such adverse physical conditions many would give up hope but not this young man a trained commando and an inspirational leader of troops who lives up to the motto “Mushkil waqt commando sakth” i.e., “When the Going Gets Tough the commando gets going”!
“No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path” ~ Buddha
On 9th December this year a wonderful event happened took place. Major Rajesh received his orders for his promotion to the coveted rank of a Lieutenant Colonel. This news brought happiness and pride to all those who have known Rajesh’s brave struggle to overcome all odds.
I asked Rajesh to share with us the source of his strength to face life with enthusiasm and cheer. Please do read his message –
“With the blessings of Almighty & good wishes of all your bloggers and my family & friends I have been promoted as Lieutenant Colonel on 9th Dec 2013. The positive messages from you on earlier blog posts (https://dilipnaidu.wordpress.com/2012/08/15/india-proudly-celebrates-25th-independence-day/) have encouraged me immensely. I am especially grateful to my wife her courage, fortitude and support during our ups and downs. My young son too is a spirited and wonderful company for me.
I feel great pride in being part of such a wonderful organization ‘The Indian Army’ & its humane approach to employment management and thank them for taking care of me and my family in every way.
I wish to share with you what helps me cope with my disabilities of triple amputation and CVA (Cerebral Vascular Accident)?
As per medical prescription, I was bound to be on lifelong medication. During the post amputation period when my entire time was spent on the hospital bed with hardly any scope of exercise except being picked up on a wheelchair & taken around. Fortunately for me it was my doctor who suggested that I could follow the Yoga/ Pranayama being telecast live on TV in the early mornings.
Initially it was difficult for me to pick up the technique of Anuloma Pranayama (Anuloma pranayama is breathing through alternate nostrils).
But after a period of one month my body got used to deep slow inhaling and absorbing oxygen in abundance. I continued with medication till mid 2009 & also kept doing Pranayamas. I had to tolerate the strong side effects of the medications. But in Jan 2010 my neurophysician after detailed assessment of my progress felt I could taper down my medication.
And by the end of 2010, not only was I rid of my medication but could also do 50 sit-ups on the bed. I continued with the same routine and as on date I am able to do 200 sit-ups every day followed by an hour of Pranayama. Finally I would advice all friends to allot some time every day to do breathing exercises or Pranayama and continue a medicine free healthy life.”
“When you own your breath, nobody can steal your peace” ~Author Unknown
Dear blogger friends do join me in wishing Lt. Col Rajesh and his family good luck and plenty of happiness.
I really don’t known what to say. This is so inspiring. I know life throws challenges to all, but we are talking about extreme challenges here. I am not a regular blogger. But this really caught my eye and made me write. For ppl seeking motvation I really wud advise them to read this. I congratulate Colonel Rajesh Mehta for the promotion. Sir u really are an inspiration for many. I wish you and your family lotttt of happiness..!!
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Its indeed gracious of you Nitin to convey your good wishes to the officer and his family. I am sure he will acknowledge the same in due course of time.
Have a lovely weekend and cheers 🙂
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Thanks a ton Nitin for your kind words. Regards
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That is an immensely inspiring story, to say the least.. first of all, i truly appreciate Dilip Naidu Sir for blogging about this, i am sure it will touch many hearts like it touched mine..i am fortunate enough to have met Lt. Col Rajesh Mehta..Uncle, you are such a wonderful and refreshing person..your never dying spirit is soooo hugely inspiring that it makes me believe that yes..it is up to us how we take things and being positive the key..i have learnt a lot from your bravery, courage, will power and attitude..this story is a life lesson..for sure 🙂
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You are so right Saloni. Your words so beautifully extol the virtues of this fine ‘officer and gentleman’. All of us who have met him are truly blessed.
Rajesh will always remain a glowing inspiration for us forever.
Thank you for your visit and many good wishes!
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Thank u so much Saloni for your kind and humble words. i wholeheartedly appreciate your thoughts. It was indeed pleasure to meet you. Wish you good luck and God speed in your all future endeavours.
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Thank you so much Dilip Naidu Sir and Rajesh Uncle ! 🙂
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Saloni Beta, pleasure is entirely Ours. Barkha & Divyanshu join me in conveying their sincere thanks and regards to you, Sharma uncle & aunti Ji for visiting us and making that evening so special and unforgettable.
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Thanks for sharing this story. And i completely agree with your title “believe in yourself”. Too good. Keep blogging 🙂
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Welcome. Nice of you to appreciate Heta. I liked your blog too. Cheers 🙂
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Dilip, this post is a wonderful reflection of the selfless spirit which lives within you! God bless!
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I thank you Wendell for your gracious words. I feel encouraged and blessed. Thank you and my sincere good wishes!
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Word Press suggested I might want to follow your blog because we share many of the same followers and have common interests. This is a beautiful post of courage and the absolute will to live. I’m on my way to discover other posts within your blog.
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I am indeed honored for considering to follow and for appreciation of the young man’s courage. Blogging for me is a great learning experience and making friends.
Wish you a lovely 2014 🙂
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lovely and very inspiring…such pple become a motivation for rest of the nation 🙂
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A warm welcome Ankita. Your words to are beautiful and inspiring.
Thanks for stopping by and wish you a happy New Year 🙂
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thank you Dilip! a very happy new year to you as well 🙂
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The story is touching. But inspiring and no doubt will go a long way to inspire all the upcoming Captains, Colonels and so on.
The offr still looks healthy and normal inspite of the ordeal he and his men have gone through.
This is Indian Army.
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Yes it his dedication to Pranayama and yogic exercises that gives him the inner strength the ‘Shakti’.
Thanks dear friend and happy New Year.
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The story is heart touching Dilip and I love the quote at the beginning…. Your writing is so inspiring !
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Gracious of you Lala Rukh for your kind words. I too am inspired by your writings and thoughts!
Have a lovely day!
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That’s an honor ! Than you. Have a lovely day 🙂 xx
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He is a man worthy of all army salutes and those of the Indian people. Courageous and down-to-earth.
Thanks for sharing Dilip.
Vijay
– HlafEatenMind
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Hi Vijay well said indeed. The Colonel is great example for all of us to be inspired.
Thank you 🙂
Dilip
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All is very inspiring my friend. We must always believe in ourselves…the hardest part of it is to really put it in practice every day of our lives. Somehow for stupid reasons sometimes, the society seems to tell us to only follow the current they follow themselves…but we must put our faith in God and in us and go the way we want to go. Thank you for this post, see you soon. Delvi.
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A warm welcome to you Delvi. You are right the hardest part IS to put it in practice. We can surely do our best and that should be good enough I guess.
Yes I’ll surely visit your lovely blog and enjoy it too.
Cheers 🙂
Dilip
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Thank you…I will love yous posts I know! Welcome too!
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I Nominate you for A Christmas Bouquet – Awards – Ajaytao – 48 Nominations
please choose any 3 awards out of the 48
accept it and oblige
there are no linkbacks for this award
http://ajaytao2010.wordpress.com/2013/12/18/christmas-bouquet-awards-ajaytao-48-nominations/
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Dear Ajaytao its gracious of you. Have a wonderful Christmas. Thank you.
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Thank you dear 🙂 🙂
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Thanks you dear 🙂
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Indian army is best in the world because of people like col mehta. Despite of amputation, he never never never gave up. He is perfect example of liviliness. He is real john cena of india and one more thing bhism pitamah of modern india.
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I agree entirely with you dear Rahul. Regards and thank you!
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Hi sir, firstly congratulations for ur promotion. Secondly its unbelievable u do 200 sits ups and 200 push ups in one go. Sir yaha par toh 20 push ups bhi dhang sae nahi hote hai. And u sir do 200 push ups with one hand. Sir aap toh desh ki aan shaan ho. Yes one more thing, sir, u r the inspiration to others. Wah sir maza aa gya aap ko dekh kar. Dogra regt ki jai ho
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Thanks a ton Rahul for your compliments, I wholeheartedly appreciate it and wish you all the very best in all your future endeavours.
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My tribute to the exemplary courage of Capt. Mehta. Thanks for sharing this Dilip.
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Yeah Rupesh that’s the least I could do. And thank y ou for your kind words.
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TThanks a ton Joy. \regards. Rajesh
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Thank you so much Rupesh for your kind words. Regards Rajesh
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I salute you Sir. Regards, Rupesh
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Bhaiya you are a true inspiration to all of us in the family. We are very proud of you. Congrats on your promotion!!! Wish u all the best and happiness in life.
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Thank you so much brother for your kind words, being so supportive & always there with me & my family. Wish you all the very best.
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An amazing story. And congratulations to LC Rajesh on the promotion – courage recognised!
Thanks for sharing, Dilip.
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Your words of appreciation for Rajesh mean a lot!
Greetings for the festive season coming your way 🙂
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Inspiring! Take care, and thank-you for sharing this story with us.
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Thank you for your kind words. Best wishes to you and be very well.
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Thanks Christy for the compliments. Regards. Rajesh
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Dear Sir
Thanks for the honor but pls don’t call me sir. I am junior of you. You are perfect example of determination, courage, patrotism and strong will. You are living inspiration for the youth.
Best Wishes
Salute
Vedant
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Thanx a ton Vedant once again for the compliments. Buddy, I appreciate from the core of my heart. Best Wishes n Regards, Rajesh
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What a beautiful and inspiring story. Thank you for sharing it~
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An inspiring story of a redoubtable warrior.
All good wishes to Rajesh and his loved ones,
Eric
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Nice words of encouragement Eric. Thank you.
Dilip
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Thank you so much sir for reviving the write up with very humble, kind , encouraging & inspiring words full of positive energy. After going through the entire writeup, I wish -” if I could go that heaven to serve again” . Amen Regards
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Thank you so much Eric for your kind words. Regards
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That’s a very inspiring story. Many in that situation would probably have given up, or would have been content to be bedridden for the rest of their lives. Lt. Col Rajesh deserves much praise for what he accomplished and what he had to go through, and I certainly wish him the best in the future.
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True true most people do give up for lesser reasons. As such his commitment and belief in his breathing exercises and light yoga routine keeps him going.
He also attends office regularly and does his work with a smile.
Thanks for your kind words.
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Thank you so much. Regards
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Thanks Binky for your humble words. Regards
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You’re very welcome, Rajesh. You’re an inspiration to those of us who have much less hardship to face.
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What an amazing story Dilip. Thanks so much for sharing it.
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Hi Dilip, I appreciate your note inviting me to read this inspirational story. It is heartening to see that despite severe physical limitations, Rajesh has been able to regain good health with yogic practices. It is truly inspiring to see that he was able to get off of medication after practicing pranayama on a regular basis. As a yoga instructor, I would love to share this story with my students through my newsletter.
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Dear Subhash appreciation coming from a highly experienced Yoga teacher is a fitting tribute and encouragement for this young man.
Its also a beautiful gesture on your part to share this inspirational story with your students in the US.
With warm regards and cheer 🙂
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Thank you Subhash Sir for your kind words. Its my pleasure to have received comments from a Yoga instructor. Regards, Rajesh.
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Reblogged this on Till 30 n Beyond and commented:
Wow! Inspirational and also a knock-on-your-face. Yoga can actually heal the unheal-able.
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Your re-blog is a thoughtful way to honor this courageous young man! Thank you.
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It’s a story worth sharing and it’s the least we can do. Thanks for stopping by.
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Thanks a ton. I second it – Yoga can indeed create miracles in healing. Regards
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Thank you for sharing! Awesome story !
I’ve heard of Pranayama yoga and this is making me seriously think of doing some form of it too!
Wishing Lt. Col Rajesh and his family amazing abundance and joy in their life 🙂
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I am sure you will find regular Pranayam or breathing exercises very beneficial. So ‘lets just do it’!
Thanks and regards.:)
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Thank u so much Mam for your good wishes & compliments. Regards
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Oo..Hello there 🙂 It was a pleasure to wish you and your family. Thank you for willingly allowing your story to be shared 🙂
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Reblogged this on Proactive Indian and commented:
The very first blog post I read today moved me so much that I decided immediately to reblog it.
So, here’s the true story of a real-life hero, Lt. Col. Rajesh Mehta, as told by Dilip Naidu.
I humbly wish Lt. Col Rajesh Mehta and his family good luck and plenty of happiness. May they continue to inspire us!
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Thanx a ton Sir, Regards
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With God on his side, everything is possible. Best wishes and thank you for sharing the story.
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Your good wishes emanate peaceful vibrations! Thank you and namaste.
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A truly inspiring story! Thank you for sharing it.
I humbly join you in wishing Lt. Col Rajesh and his family good luck and plenty of happiness. May they continue to inspire us!
I would like to reblog this post. Please confirm this is OK with you.
Incidentally, the TOI report mentions his name as Rakesh. You’ve mentioned it as Rajesh. I tried checking on Google, but couldn’t succeed. Please clarify.
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Oh yes please go-ahead. Rajesh is correct. Your good wishes for Rajesh and his family is indeed a lovely gesture. Best wishes.
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Reblogged this wonderful post on http://proactiveindian.com with a comment:
“The very first blog post I read today moved me so much that I decided immediately to reblog it.
So, here’s the true story of a real-life hero, Lt. Col. Rajesh Mehta, as told by Dilip Naidu.
I humbly wish Lt. Col Rajesh Mehta and his family good luck and plenty of happiness. May they continue to inspire us!”
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Re-blogging this post is indeed a tribute to this courageous young man and his family. Thank you 🙂
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Ah, thank you for this wonderful post, Dilip! Indeed, breath IS life and we choose to forget. Our breath is a miracle itself. My warmest wishes to Lt. Col Rajesh for his courageous attitude and to his family. May they always be filled with happiness and good fortune.
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That’s beautifully put Marina. Yes our breath indeed is precious it is the only thing that remains with us till the last.
I am sure Rajesh and his family will cherish your heartfelt good wishes.
Kind regards and Namaste!
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Namaste, my dear Dilip!
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🙂 Namaste dear Marina
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Thank u so much mam. Regards
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Thank YOU, Rajesh, for being a shinning example. Regards and joyous holidays to you and your family!
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A lovely tribute to the courage and strength of this remarkable soldier!! Thank you for sharing Dilip. My best wishes to Lt. Col. Rajesh and his family.
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Yes Madhu the young man indeed is a perfect example of courage and strength. Thank you and best regards.
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Yes Madhu this young man indeed is a perfect example of courage and strength. Thank you and best regards.
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Thank you so much for the compliments Mam. Regards
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Dear Sir
Give my salute to him and many many congratulations for his promotion.
If a person’s will power strong than he can achieve his goal.
Regards
Vedant
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Yes dear Vedant you are right. Your sincere good wishes will be cherished. Thanks my friend.
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Thank u Vedant Sir for the compliments. Regards
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Dilip what a wonderful inspiring story.. I relate so well to using breath to wellness, for me it was Qui Gong exercises with breathing… Which helped me so much with my own Fybromyalgia problems some years ago..
I send well wishes to Lt. Col Rajesh and his family Many Blessings
Sue xox
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Sue how nice to know from you the health benefits of practicing Qui Gong. Sharing of such personal experiences spreads inspirational waves all around!
Your wishes will mean a lot to Rajesh. Thank you.
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Thanks a ton Mam. Regards
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Blessings in return 🙂
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