Meet The Award-Winning Ladakhi Porter Who Saved Jawans In Siachen
One such porter happens to be 31-year-old Stanzin Padma, who not only saved two Indian Army jawans but also retrieved the bodies of deceased soldiers and fellow porters during his decade-long stint
To guard borders at an altitude of 22,000 feet where temperatures drop to -40 degrees Celsius is not a cake wal, however Indian army soliders brave these extreme weather conditions every single day.
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The local residents have been employed as porters, who carry loads up to 20 kilograms to army posts on the Siachen glacier, stocking the posts with necessary provisions and maintaining kerosene reserves
Also Read: This Elderly Couple From Pune Has Set Up An Oxygen Generation Plant For Indian Soldiers In Siachen
One such porter happens to be 31-year-old Stanzin Padma, who not only saved two Indian Army jawans but also retrieved the bodies of deceased soldiers and fellow porters during his decade-long stint
A recipient of the Jeevan Raksha Padak, an award given by the Union Home Minister ¡°for courage and promptitude in saving life under circumstances of grave bodily injury to the rescuer¡± in 2014, Stanzin spoke to The Better India about his life serving in Siachen.
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He was part of a five-person team when he saved the lives of two jawans stuck under an avalanche at a forward post called Tiger LP (21,500 ft above sea level). In late May 2013, five soldiers on duty were buried under an avalanche one night.
¡°There were five of us, including an officer of the Indian Army, as part of the rescue crew. Initially, we took out snow scooters, but since the weather was bad, we couldn¡¯t drive them properly. So, we abandoned the scooters halfway and went up walking. However, while climbing up, we got hit by an avalanche, and all of us got buried inside."
"When the avalanche subsided, I realized that my whole body was buried inside and I couldn¡¯t move an inch. Luckily, one of our teammates was only buried below the waist. He managed to free himself and rescued all of us. We decided to return to our post and to resume the rescue mission next morning as the weather was bad. Moreover, we were tired and scared too,¡± Stanzin told Better India.
The survivors were immediately flown down to the army hospital for resuscitation. A year later, all of them were bestowed with commendation certificates on army day in Akhnoor
Deemed as casual paid labourers (CPL), these porters are paid a daily wage according to the grade of the post. There are approximately about 100 posts on the glacier that are classified into five grades based on their altitude and the risks involved in serving there.
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They are paid a maximum of Rs 857 per day at higher posts, while those serving at the base camp are paid Rs 694 per day. These figures haven¡¯t changed since 2017, notes Padma.
According to The Better India. these porters serve three months a stretch owing to brutal weather conditions, avalanches, crevasse and the threat of shifting ice.
Also Read: Former Western Army Commander Lt. Gen PN Hoon, Who Secured Siachen From Pakistan In 1984, Dies
Since porters are eligible to make claims for permanent positions and pay after working for 90 consecutive days, the Army sends these porters in cycles of 89 days.
Stanzin himself has had times when after working for 89
days, he comes down for a couple of days, gets a thorough medical check-up at
the local government hospital and then climbs back up as soon as possible.
After working as a porter in Siachen for nearly a decade, Stanzin took up work with a trekking agency and even served as a manager of a Nubra-based hotel. He continues to work in the tourism sector, while also starting as a contractor, reports The Better India.
