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Kashmir's Muslim Fighters Drain Indian Troops
SRINAGAR, India, April 3 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Indian security troops on tours of duty in restive Kashmir state are increasingly prone to stress-related illness, despite the government's unilateral ceasefire in the region as Muslim fighters step up their freedom campaign.
Indian military doctors say a recent spate of attacks on security installations by Muslim martyr squads have placed even greater pressure on personnel already coping with daily, high-risk operations.
"As compared to my last tour in 1996-1997, I find the present level of stress and strain among the security troops higher than ever," said C.B. Narayan, a doctor with the paramilitary Border Security Force (BSF).
Narayan said the increased stress could be attributed to a variety of reasons, not least of which was the recent extension of tours of duty in Kashmir from two to three years.
"Most of these soldiers get one month holiday a year and they often have a variety of domestic problems like some dispute in the family, or fights between relatives or neighbors," Narayan said.
"As they spend most of their time away from their homes and families, the problems often deepen or multiply and can have a very damaging psychological impact."
More than 34,000 have been killed in Muslim-majority Kashmir since the launch of an armed freedom movement against Indian rule in 1989.
The Indian government in November stated they were suspending military counter-insurgency operations in the restive state.
But Muslim groups say the ceasefire is merely an Indian ploy to improve its international image after years of suppression against Muslims in the disputed state.
In retaliation, Muslim groups have recently targeted Indian security forces with a series of increasingly daring attacks.
Army and police patrols are common targets of surprise grenade assaults, while security convoys run the repeated risk of landmine blasts. "I would say that quite a sizeable chunk of the security forces deployed in the state are suffering from varying degrees of mental stress," said one army officer who spoke on condition of anonymity.
One BSF officer, who also declined to be identified, said there had been a rise in the number of cases of men with high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart trouble. "Fuses are short because of the strain and sometimes the smallest thing can start off a nasty quarrel," he said.
In addition to suicides, there have been instances of military personnel snapping and gunning down fellow soldiers.
"We work hard to maintain morale and ensure regular medical check-ups, but stress is sometimes harder to diagnose and treat than physical ailments," said Narayan.
More than 300,000 security force personnel are deployed in Kashmir, excluding the state's own police force.
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