Mangaluru: Former Servicemen held a prayer service to pay homage to Lance NaikHanamanthappa Koppad along with nine other soldiers who died in an avalanche at Siachen Glacier, at the war memorial, Kadri here on February 13.
Former serviceman Brigadier I N Rai briefing on Siachen Glacier said, “My only regret is I could not serve at the Siachen, before I could move to siachen I was posted to Madras. We all read in newspapers about Siachin. We all know that heros in hindi films do all impossible stunts in Siachin”.
The Siachin Glacier is a expensive battle field for the Indian government. The government is spending 1 million US dollars everyday and Rs 18,000 per second to maintain a brigade strength in that area. It is medically proved that if you spend more than 3 months at 18,000 ft in that region your body starts getting de-generated. Your health get deteriorated. Government orders are that troops will not stay for more than 3 months in that region. Three months tenure at 18000 feet and above and while coming down. In those three months soldiers don’t shave nor have bath. They keep themselves hygienically clean, sometimes some soldiers get skin problems, breathlessness and also snow blindness if they do not use snow goggles. Even small ailments get aggravated. So the nation should remember those brave soldiers with gratitude
He further said that the soldiers give their today for our and our children’s tomorrow. The soldiers who died at the Siachin were from 4 states, Kerala, Maharastra, Tamilnadu and Karnataka and those 10 soldiers lived in one place and cooked in one utensil and eat in one plate because if they use 10 plates they have to melt the ice for water and wash the plates but they lived like children of one family. Everyday we see fights between Tamilnadu andKarnataka for the Kaveri water, Kerala and Tamilnadu for Periyar dam, Karnataka and Belagum for language issue. I don’t know why?
Rai further said that recently there was a very sad and unfortunate incident in one of the University where educated youth were shouting anti India slogans and saying we will not rest until our country will be divided into 16 pieces. The soldiers who are stationed at 18000 ft when they see the clippings of those youth who shout anti India slogans, will make them think why are we fighting? when there is a enemy inside our house. The soldier kills the enemy not because he likes to kill, but because he loves us and the country. Let us pray for the brave souls who laid their lives for our better tomorrow.
Governor of Lions Club Kavita Shastri also spoke on the occasion. Later a floral homage was given to all the 10 brave soldiers who laid down their lives.
“Rai further said that recently there was a very sad and unfortunate incident in one of the University where educated youth were shouting anti India slogans and saying we will not rest until our country will be divided into 16 pieces” – Report First of all, this shows how our military folks are the best and how they truly love our country. Moreover, I truly salute Brigadier Rai for speaking truth. Only ‘desha bhaktha’ folks and soldiers will understand the nature of real threats facing the country. These guys are thousand times better than silly-journalists and fake-secular groups who keep… Read more »