Indian Army is highly appreciated deploying its braved Jawans and officers at “Siachen Glacier” to guard our country from the enemies by facing hardship under cruel and adverse environmental vagaries extremes of cold conditions, low atmospheric oxygen pressure, solar radiations, Avalanche, crevices, surrounded by snow clad mountain, high wind chill factor, isolation and monotony etc which are responsible for causing acute mountain sickness, High Altitude Pulmonary Oedema, High Altitude Cerebral Oedema, frost bites, memory loss, insomnia and other ailments. Though these army personnel are well acclimatized in all respects to face the challenges at White Elephant with enough support in terms of medical facilities, evacuation in case of emergencies and enough nutrient foods by the authorities but the natural calamities like Avalanche and Crevices takes the lives of our Gladiators, as evident in losing of ten brave Army Jawans recently.
A soldier’s love for the country is commendable. Soldier lives for the country and dies for it. Many feelings galore in the heart and mind of common man when we hear any story of the soldier. In my opinion, every citizen should serve in armed forces for at least 3 years to get a better feel and connect with the patriotism. Jai Hind, Jai Bharat! I marvel at the motivation, sheer grit and the desire our soldiers have to serve the country even in the harshest locations. We civilians have to understand, appreciate their sacrifice for the safety of all of us. And most important of all, our bureaucracy which grudges providing even the smallest of facilities to the armed forces which could make their existence somewhat easier, and the politicians who have an attitude of benign neglect vis a vis our forces. RIP brave souls died in Siachen avlanache.
Jayanthy S. Maniam
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
