Ouch

Will PM Narendra Modi's Diwali celebration with Siachen soldiers lift their morale? Distress levels of jawans have soared. Here's why:

CRISIS POINTS
Prolonged deployment in counter-insurgency operations.
Postings in far-flung areas and losing touch with family.
Restricted leave policy and no provision for family housing in peace areas.
Poor salary and lack of basic amenities.

DRESS
No modernisation, no tracksuits, no sports shoes, just two pairs of free uniforms a year.

SUICIDE
More suicides and fratricides than lives lost to enemy bullets: 597 lives in the last five years.

FRATRICIDE
Deteriorating officersoldier relations: 75 deaths due to soldiers killing soldiers in the last decade.

HOME
Return from vacations depressed due to unresolved domestic problems.

SAHAYAK
Humiliating service conditions: jawans often misused as personal valets.