Chaitra Krushna Dwadashi
New Delhi: Alarmed by the increasing job stress levels and environment-related diseases within its ranks, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is resorting to traditional meditation techniques to tone up the health of its personnel who are mostly deployed in high-stress insurgency and Maoist-affected areas across the country. (This shows the greatness of Hindu Yoga Therapy! – Editor)
The CRPF, world’s biggest paramilitary force, is planning to train 800 of its personnel in yoga under Baba Ramdev as master trainers, who in turn will train the entire force in order to bust stress through spiritual path.
As part of the stress management efforts, the CRPF personnel are also being detailed to undergo “Stress Education and Effective Decisions” Programme (SEED), organised by Rajyoga Education and Research Foundation, Mount Abu. About two dozen CRPF personnel have so far attended the course at the foundation’s Gurgaon and Mount Abu centres.
Besides, Art of Living Course has also been introduced in the Central Para-Military Forces (CPMFs). Initially, 200 companies of the CPMFs deployed in Jammu & Kashmir and North-Eastern sector were imparted training in the course.
As many as 170 companies of the CRPF have been earmarked to undergo the course out of which 146 companies have been imparted training. According to the feedback of the course, there was a positive impact on the forces’ personnel and the remaining companies will undergo training in the course shortly.
Likewise, the IL&FS Education and Technology Service has conducted a course called ‘Pragati Ke Path Par’ at two locations of CRPF and 954 personnel of CRPF were trained at Gandhi Nagar and New Delhi. A course on Sanjivini is also being conducted at the group centres of CRPF to develop the personality of its personnel and their wives.
The CRPF book on operational profile of 2007 says about 14 per cent of the force is afflicted by either of a range of diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, psychiatric problems, tuberculosis, malaria and hepatitis due stress or environment-related factors.
While suicides within the para-military force have increased from 19 in 2005 to 44 in 2007, fratricidal killings have also doubled from five in 2005 to 10 in 2006 and 2007.
Reasons for the increasing level stress and related diseases include staying away from families, insufficient family accommodation, high mobility, threat to life, inadequate compensation for extra hardships and risks, prolonged duty hours, poor living conditions and insufficient logistics.
The 2.67 lakh-strong CRPF has 200 operational battalions out which personnel suffering from low backache, heart diseases and hypertension more than doubled from 6,241 in 2005 to 13,207 in 2007, 413 cases in 2005 to 891 instances in 2007 and 3031 in 2005 to 6,184 cases respectively.
Cases of diabetes increased from 2,424 in 2005 to 2,602 in 2007 and the number of those suffering from psychiatric ailments surged from 573 in 2005 to 716 last year. Likewise, cases of tuberculosis have also more than doubled from 248 in 2005 to 507 in 2007.
While instances of malaria have increased from 1,875 cases in 2005 to 3,012 in 2007, the number of hepatitis patients within the CRPF ranks increased significantly from 796 in 2005 to 2,453 in 2006 but spiralled down to 611 in 2007, according to the CRPF book on operational profile for 2007.
Source: http://www.dailypioneer.com
