Jammu: Bharatiya Janata Party has expressed deep sympathy with the families of avalanche victims during the recent heavy snow fall in Kashmir. A total of 20 people have lost their lives so far in North Kashmir. While praying for lives of the innocent civilians, the Party also paid glowing tributes to 15 army men who made the supreme sacrifice during the period while defending the nation’s frontiers.
Brigadier Anil Gupta, State Spokesperson, said that the Party condoles the unfortunate loss of lives, appreciates the local population and the civil administration which cooperated wholeheartedly with the military authorities in the rescue operation despite adverse weather conditions. Brig Gupta said that North Kashmir this year has been experiencing very high rate of snowfall surpassing the record of previous two decades and on the upper reaches where the Army is deployed it is like a snow ‘Tsunami’. Ever since the Kargil Operations, Army has done away with the practice of vacating posts during winters, thus risking the troops to the vagaries of hostile weather. These brave soldiers were performing their duty unmindful of the threat posed to their lives when they were stuck with the avalanche. The nation is proud of their sacrifice and salutes their grit and determination said Brig Gupta while appreciating their sense of duty and loyalty to the nation.
At these lonely heights the soldiers have to fight not only the enemy but the vagaries of weather as well. It is excellent combat leadership coupled with sheer determination and will power of our soldiers that enables them to bear these hardships for the defence of their motherland. While all precautions are taken to avoid unnecessary loss of lives such natural calamities do create havoc at times lamented Brig Gupta. The present Modi led BJP government acknowledges the challenges and hardships faced by the soldiers at these lofty heights and that is why the Prime Minister spent Diwali with the troops deployed at Siachen and other high altitude areas during the past two years. The spokesperson hoped that in the forthcoming budget adequate provision will be made for state of the art search and rescue equipment to enable faster and better rescue of such victims in future.
