The death of Siachen hero, Lance Naik Hanumanthappa who defied death for six days after being buried under 30 feet of snow, seems to have passed off uneventfully in Meghalaya. Elsewhere in the country people stood in solidarity to mourn the loss of a hero who gave his today for our tomorrow. On February 3, Hanumanthappa who was protecting the nation at a height of 19000 feet and a temperature of minus 45 degrees Celsius in Siachen got caught in an avalanche. He was rescued by the Indian army six days after the incident and was brought to the Army Referral Hospital at Delhi. He was on life support system but could not survive the damage to his vital organs. Hanumanthappa passed away on February 11.
Buried under 30 feet of concrete like ice, all that Lance Naik Hanumanthappa had to hang on to was a tiny air pocket through which he could breathe, and his indomitable spirit. But the valour of those who rescued him too cannot be understated. It comprised a group of well-trained Army men, two dogs, a small team of medical professionals and military pilots. They carried out a relentless search operation at in a terrain where only the brave venture. The Army and the Air Force between them flew over 200 sorties to rush deep penetration radars, radio signal detectors and rock drills to get to the other 10 soldiers who along with Hanumanthappa were also buried under the snow. The exercise is a narrative of great courage and bravery and as someone has correctly stated – death-defying.
It is ironic that in this day and age India continues to post its soldiers in those sub-human conditions to guard this vulnerable border outpost. By now there should be enough advanced technology to keep track of enemy movements on the Siachen Glacier.
On hearing of the death of Hanumanthappa the whole nation mourned. Candles were lit and prayers offered but not so in this part of the country. There is a certain aloofness and indifference in honouring the martyrs of this country, unless they belong to our own state. This detachment from an event of national significance is rather unfortunate. The youth have lost an opportunity to show solidarity with our soldiers who make exemplary sacrifices to guard the nation from external enemies and thereby secure our lives. But there is still time. We hope that the civil society of Meghalaya can rise above ethno-centric concerns and be one with the nation while we grieve the loss of our valiant soldiers.
