It’s really unfortunate that soldiers are either killing themselves or their colleagues, being unable to ward off bouts of depression. In most of the cases, it’s quite clear that the senior officers are abettors, who don’t provide their subordinates enough scope to interact with their families at leisure. Not a long time back, more often than not, it’s the sense of humiliation, which provokes them to retaliate in aggressive manner. Not a long time back an Army man, upset at refusal of leave killed a Captain and a Junior Commissioned Officer in Manipur before turning his service weapon on himself.
The best way to prevent the occurrence of such tragic episodes would be to have counseling centers providing them psychological assistance in hours of crisis. Above all, there has to be a work culture which reins in abusive treatment meted out to them at hands of their seniors. Lastly, they should be allowed to have moments of togetherness with their near and dear ones at regular intervals to boost their well-beings.
