DNA Edit: Life as a CRPF jawan - Stress is deadlier than enemy bullet

Life is fraught with mortal dangers for CRPF men who are at the forefront in the war against Naxals. Battling in a hostile terrain surrounded by enemies and living away from family and friends for long periods add to the already high levels of stress and anxiety that the men in uniform suffer from as they live in hot and humid conditions and come to terms with punishing work schedules, acute water scarcity and mosquito-borne diseases.

No wonder the attrition rate is very high among CRPF jawans. Those who dodge bullets from Maoist can fall prey to depression and heart attack. The Minister of State for Home Affairs, G Ahir’s response in the Lok Sabha summed up the miserable existence of the men in battle fatigues.

Consider the fact that out of 1,294 jawans killed between 2016 and July, 2018, only 85 died in anti-Maoist operations in the jungles of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Maharashtra. The major killers are heart attacks, depression (jawans committing suicides), malaria and dengue.

Needless to say that given the adverse conditions, the morale of the troops is very low. This, despite the fact that the Centre has taken various steps to rejuvenate the personnel with emotional and financial perks. While the introduction of modern weapons and protective gear has minimised the number of casualties, the men are also encouraged to do yoga, which is a known stress buster. Imagine this: Civilians, unable to cope with stress, find themselves best with physical and psychological problems.

The CRPF personnel in life-and-death situations encounter stress levels that an office-goer would find difficult to imagine. The government needs to take good care of these men who sacrifice their life and limb for the nation’s well-being.