Lessons of sobriety for border sentinels

Excessive comsumption of alcohol by the defence personel posted in the BOPs has become an issue to reckon with.

What if a tipsy armed 8216;jawan8217; gets trigger 8216;happy8217; inside the barrack, or for that matter, a group of 8216;spirited8217; soldiers on patrolling duty actually loiter along the vulnerable international border.

Apprehending such 8220;un-called for8221; situation, the Border Security Force BSF has opted for a noble way to sober down its 8216;alcoholic8217; men, both officers and soldiers.

Enforcing a prohibition of supply of alcohol to the Border Observation Posts BOPs with immediate effect, the Assam and Meghalaya Frontier A038;M Ftr of the BSF has simultaneously sought the help of the Alcoholics Anonymous Service Centre for counseling of its personnel who have seriously hit the bottle.

8220;BOPs are operational sectors and we cannot have drunken personnel manning these sensitive forward posts along the international borders,8221; Inspector General P K Mishra said, adding liquor would be provided only during 8216;Barakhanas8217; and when the men go on leave.

Inaugurating the two-day counseling session at the BSF headquaters here today, Mishra made a passionate plea to the rank and file of his men to come out of the 8216;disease8217; that is alcoholism, which has infected the troopers.

Observing that earlier alcoholism was deemed as a 8216;disciplinary problem8217;, which was sought to be curbed by exemplary punishment, the IG said such tactics did not yield the desired result.

8220;From now on no vindictive punishment will be meted out. We shall identify the reasons behind jawans taking to excessive drinking and then go for regular counseling by experts,8221; he said.

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Alcoholism is not only having adverse effects on the family members of the jawans but it8217;s also ruining their physical and mental health, the IG observed.

8220;Moderate drinking in itself is not bad but consuming more than required and then creating trouble is a problem that needs to be tackled,8221; he said.

Citing family feuds and loneliness while on duty at remote border posts as the main reasons for the prevalence of alcoholism among some of the jawans, the IG advised his men to take to games and sports instead.

8220;Instead of wasting money on alcohol, you can use it for making regular phone calls to your wives and children,8221; the IG advised officers and jawans who would undergo counselling.