Beyond Duty

As we watch the footages of our soldiers manning our posts in snowbound Ladakh and at other places across the Line of Actual Control from the cozy confines of our drawing room, little do we realize the challenges faced by our Jawans. At heights of 14,000 - 18,000 feet, the winter is unforgiving. At these icy altitudes the temperature plummets to minus 40 degrees.

Oxygen is scarce.

Anybody else would have flipped the channel but that wasn't the case with Yogesh and Sumedha Chitade. The Pune based couple came to know that the Indian Army needed an oxygen generation plant.

In 2018, the Pune based couple decided to raise money and kick-started the campaign by selling off their valuables. A sum of 1.5 crores was needed and the couple over an 18 month journey appealed to people of the state to donate money for the cause.

The amount was raised, the machine was imported from Germany and handed over to the army on 4th October, 2019. They were honored by the Prime Minister.

While saluting the Chitades for their exemplary work, a few questions beg an answer.

Since the couple sold their family silver, the defence ministry should think in terms of returning the money or a part of it through their funds reserved for capital equipment.

Such life saving equipment should be purchased in bulk and installed at every army camp stationed all across the LAC.

The lives of our soldiers are precious and the oxygen generation plant should be the norm rather than the exception.

Hope our Raksha Mantri is listening !!

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