OUR SOLDIER'S NEEDS IN SIACHEN

SIACHEN IS THE HIGHEST COMBAT ZONE ON PLANET EARTH.

India has built check-post on mountains of  Drass, Batalik and Kargil which have average 15000 feet height.  In every check-post India has nominated four to six soldiers, who keep their eyes on borders day and night. This posts are very important for us so that Soldiers live their for 365 days. It would not be wrong saying that this check-posts are second home of our soldier. This posts are never left by our soldiers even if critical situation arrives. Remember that in 1999, during winter our soldiers had left their post and pakistani soldiers had taken control on our posts quietly. We got our land back after giving many sacrifices of our soldiers in Kargil War.

This posts are on over 15000 feet height. At this much of height air is very cold and thin.Also oxygen level is very low at this height, Which causes troubles like hallucination, Vomit, headache. In winter, temperature reaches to -50 degree which is extremely dangerous for human body. To face this difficulties one should have strong morale and our soldiers have got it. They are not lack of it But unfortunately we are lack of many other things, which are special types of clothes and equipments they need to live in this type of cold and harsh atmosphere and still they adjust somehow.

E.G.

• Our soldiers should have high ankle shoes so they can walk in soft ice easily and can protect their ankles from ice and frostbite ( frostbite is a condition resulting from abrupt exposure to extreme cold that can leave amputation of fingers or toes as the only alternative. In extreme cases, these organs may just fall off.)  But they don't have enough shoes. Army has already ordered 2,17,388 pairs of high ankle shoes long time ago to our defence ministry. But they are delaying it. 

• To protect head, forehead,ears, face from this cold climate, they must have woven caps. But still soldiers of Drass and Batalik are lack of these woven caps. They need 4,47,000 caps but still without any reason there is a delay in satisfying their need.

• They have got primary level of bed in their check-post and they get comfortable sleep only when their body become warm. For that they should have special blanket. But our soldiers don't own it in enough quantity. Army has ordered 65,978 blanket long time ago to our defence ministry but they haven't taken any decision yet. Except this our army has also ordered 1,26,270 mosquito net and 13,00,000 canvas shoes. But No-one is answering.  

Because of all this our air marshal Reddi has warned our defence ministry in strict words but no-one knows their words will create any impact or not. They make deal of Rafale,Missiles and many other weapon but our soldiers are lack of basic needs, is there any logic behind delaying these needs, suppose there is any logic but they should throw it, because there is a word called humanity.

Look at some facts. You will understand their situation.

• In the last 30 years, 846 soldiers have sacrificed their lives at Siachen. In last three years alone, 50 Indian soldiers have died in Siachen. These causalities as per the information made available by Defense Minister in Lok Sabha, were due to the very nature of the place our forces are serving. These soldiers sacrificed their lives on the line of duty while combating the floods, avalanches and floods in Siachen.

• Fresh food is very rare in siachen. Orange and apple freeze to hardness of cricket ball in no time.

• When you stay at that altitude for long, you lose your weight, don’t feel like eating, sleep disorders come around in no time and memory loss – that’s a common occurrence. Put simply, the body begins to deteriorate. That’s what happens at Siachen.

THEY ARE GIVING THEIR TODAY FOR OUR TOMORROW