Adieu to a soldier

February 12, 2016 12:29 am | Updated 12:29 am IST

The passing away of Lance Naik Hanumanthappa, soldier of the 19 Madras Regiment, is humbling. The entire nation came together to pray and hope for this brave soldier’s recovery after his miraculous rescue from under 35 feet of snow and ice in Siachen. Lance Naik has sent out an important and inspiring message to all of us over the past week: fight relentlessly, whatever the odds.

Kedarnath Rajah Aiyar,Pune

Hanumanthappa’s story speaks volumes about how awe-inspiring nature is and how equally awe-inspiring human grit can be. It also highlights the severe conditions in which our soldiers guard the nation. Hanumanthappa will remain in the hearts of Indians forever and remind us that we should always be thankful for people like him who risk their lives to protect us. We must collectively mourn the deaths of those who died in the avalanche.

V. Devadas,Kannur

How heroically Hanumanthappa defied death for six days! Kudos to his endurance levels.

This tragic incident is also a wake-up call for the Defence Ministry to rethink its strategy on Siachen. It must leave no stone unturned in chalking out a plan where the direct involvement of soldiers in Siachen is kept to the bare minimum. Unfortunately, both India and Pakistan are daft enough to continue splurging billions of rupees in guarding and controlling an inhospitable glacier and putting the lives of their soldiers at severe risk.

Praveen N.V.S.,Kurnool

The dedication that was displayed in looking for survivors of the Siachen avalanche is heart-warming and commendable (“Tale of a heroic operation”, Feb. 11). Kudos to the entire team, including the sniffer dogs, for tolerating freezing temperatures to do their job. The nation is proud of their efforts. While it is unfortunate that ten soldiers lost their lives, the efforts of those who rescued Hanumanthappa will always remain in our memory.

J.P. Reddy,Nalgonda

It is quite heartening to see public opinion being generated for the demilitarisation of Siachen (“A peaceful way out on Siachen”, Feb. 11). It is unfortunate that we are losing soldiers in this hostile terrain. The zeal to hold Siachen is not understandable given that it offers little or no strategic-tactical advantage, according to experts, and has a lopsided cost-benefit ratio. The Defence Minister’s statement is also disappointing.

As there seems to be some bonhomie between India and Pakistan now after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surprise visit to Lahore, a high-level discussion between the heads of government could yield an understanding on the withdrawal of forces from this region. The question is, who will take the first step forward?

Noor Kamal Sheikh & Mohd Afzal,New Delhi

Maintaining the status quo is no option. As both India and Pakistan are losing military personnel, a mutually-arrived-at agreement to demilitarise the region is the best option. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s proposal to turn the region into a peace park is the most ideal. It would be sensible for both the countries to earmark Siachen as no man’s land and use it for scientific and technological research on an international level.

Seshagiri Row Karry,Hyderabad

I differ from the author where he says, “there is neither valour nor glory in death due to cerebral edema or hypothermia, guarding a few kilometres of ice whose strategic value is ambiguous at best”. The death of any soldier, whether it occurs while fighting against our enemies or in hostile weather conditions, is still valorous. The enemy could be either man or nature. That the soldier died on duty is what entitles him to national recognition, not how he died — of bullet injuries or hypothermia.

N.Visveswaran,Chennai

A resolution on the Siachen glacier may seem to be the need of the hour given the number of casualties faced by both India and Pakistan over the years. However, we must not get swayed. We cannot trust Pakistan, which is still a democratically unstable nation, to accept and honour any proposed settlement, nor can we be guided by the tragic loss of lives of our soldiers. Technological surveillance and reduced troop mobilisation are possible options, but a “total withdrawal” of troops seems far-fetched. It could prove too costly for India.

Gaurav Singhal,Haryana

Dr. Singh’s suggestion to turn the Siachen glacier into a peace park and the author’s idea to make it an international destination for glacier research seem utopian. Cynical as it may sound, given the increasingly strained India-Pakistan, the status quo seems likely to continue despite all that it takes to guard Siachen.

S.K. Choudhury,Bengaluru

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