It’s not only children who wonder and have
curiosity to know the reasons to many unanswered questions they have in mind
but even grown ups wonder at times to get answers to many unusual situations of
life those that relate to them or the society. I too wonder sometimes if human
beings are still dwarfs even though they claims to have conquered the depths of
the earth, sea’s and the oceans or for that matter the infinite Space. To me
all these successes look like a jest at times when we fail to have an answer to
a simple and small thing when compared to the size of the so-called
achievements of science.
In an age when human being have set foot on the
Moon, aiming for setting up human residential colony’s there or exploring Mars
and other celestial bodies in our galaxy and even planning a pleasure trip for
people on a specially designed spacecraft to the boundless Space not to mention
the deadly weapons possessed by the leaders of the world which can bring an end
to the human civilization in just seconds or for that matter the countless
civil and military satellites hovering over our heads meant to keep a watchful
eye, are tremendously tedious and unthinkable task. However, contrary to this
we do not still have the power, know how to certain basic things at our
command. This indeed makes the tall claims of science look dwarf.
The amazing news of a brave and lucky Indian
soldier from among a group of few unfortunate ones, his colleagues, guarding
the country in one of the world’s toughest, all through the year snow-bound battlefields
at a height of over 20,000 feet rescued after 6 days from under tons of ice
buried deep in the snow as a miracle. Army men consider the miracle a blessing
of ‘OP Baba’. OP Baba an unknown soldier who died here somewhere in early
eighties but whose spirit roams around this icy region often guiding and
warning the soldiers of mis-happening is a revered soul by those serving here.
Siachen has sub-zero temperature that goes down
to as low as -50 degrees, lurking danger of a crevasse or an avalanche that are
normal and often met by soldiers. Upon return from here soldiers often
experiences memory loss, shivers at night, stunted hair growth and at time many
other dreaded ailments as a result of climatic conditions here.
The news and such unfortunate happenings and
tough work conditions could make any reasonable person bent upon thinking on what
need be corrected to make sure the well-being of the guardians of the country serving
at such creepy places while they are alive and not just extending help to their
dependents after they are gone!
So why are scientists rejoicing of their
conquest of the depths of the earth, sea’s and the oceans or for that matter
the infinite Space when there is totally no control of humans or methods
devised to save lives in places like Siachen. Why are we still after the
out-of-date means of securing this region when better options exist?
The recent few days has made me think of some
minute details of the living condition of soldiers in the deadly terrain. Imagine
how a soldier without any lament expected to guard while living in all averse
conditions of the nature in a tented accommodation. These tents are specially
designed! What on earth is special of it when there is no second line of
defense attached to these for its occupants in case of their facing the fury of
nature? Though nature is supreme and
incidences like ice wall collapsing or a crevasse are unavoidable, there
certainly remains room for way out and alternatives. Pity! But we are still in
primitive age on this account. Though some efforts carried out by DRDO but they
seem negligible to the amount of research and alternatives that need be devised
for people serving these regions.
As per official data adverse climate conditions
in glacier ridden areas claim an average of 10 lives a year, these numbers do
not say the everyday challenges like frost bite or the dreaded Chilblain that
can dismember limbs, teeth and any other vulnerable part of the body. It’s a
pity that we are unable to zero off this data even after human presence in
Siachen for over three decades.
It
is time to think out-of-box to make sure of alternatives to rid the men of
these areas from a continuous basis. Randomly, I think of hi-tech Robots, Drones and extensive Satellite
surveillance a good alternative at such unearthly places. When Robots, Drones
and Satellite can do many impossible tasks in different spheres why similar
alternatives can’t be devised and thought of here to replace men? Its time our
planners and leaders gave a serious thought on this issue.
In similar disaster of three years back in
Uttarakhand – The Kedarnath tragedy which saw the worst ever death toll in the
hills that numbered in thousands of human beings and livestock being killed at
the hands of nature besides the livelihood sources public properties and
aquatic biodiversity destroyed at places. Numerous settlements in the hills even
wiped out of existence due to this unforeseen disaster which combined deluge, flash-floods
as a result of unprecedented rain and landslides leaving the topography of the
place unrecognizable in no time. Here also there were no effective measures of
early disaster warnings even though tall claims of our scientific achievements.
Special
satellite systems capable of early warnings appraisal of avalanche, storms,
deluge, flash-floods landslides and other natural calamities launched for
treacherous, inhabitable and eco-fragile regions can do away with around the
clock human presence. This does not mean lowering the vigil in the area, but in
fact a better and more effective way to watch
while saving precious human
lives. While out-of-box thinking is a must the need of the hour is also to do
away with the mundane and primitive style of functioning by the country in
this context. Can somebody from the higher echelon of
the government have an ear on this!
India mourns the passing away of Siachen avalanche survivor Lance Naik Hanamanthappa and his other colleagues. May their soul rest in peace!
