Chupe Rustam climbs mountain top to cry hoarse to moderate salt & sugar intake

Securing Armed Forces from Hypertension and Diabetes

Mahidanda (Uttarkashi, from atop 16000 feet), June 22:  Indo-Tibetan Border Police commandos have been put on a high alert. But this time, for an altogether different reason.

The alert relates to hypertension and diabetes, two enemies of human body. Popular health campaign ‘Chupe Rustam: The silent killers’ travelled all the way to their training camp at a mountain top to sensitize them about the dangers of these twin health hazards, which might henceforth find it difficult to invade the confidence and alertness of the forces guarding the country day and night.

Indo –Tibetan Border Police commandos , lending lives fighting infiltrators and insurgents, have now also moved decisively to keep themselves battle fit. ‘Chupe Rustam’ has armed them with ‘ammunitions’ to stop dangerous ‘infiltrators’ namely hypertension and diabetes which might sap their energy and dilute their resolve while securing India’s border and internal security.

The movement ‘Chupe Rustam: The silent killers’, catching on fast in the country, attained its ‘dizzying’ height when it aligned with CIJW(Counter Interagency and Jungle War)  school, Mahidanda at the breathtaking altitude of  over 16000 feet. From sea level in Goa to the forbidding height of Mahidanda, the journey of the campaign demonstrated its resolve to spread awareness far and wide.

In the midst of blazing rifles, commandos , being trained in school for fighting pitched battle against insurgents, were also sensitized how to keep battle fit by being vigilant about hypertension and diabetes. In a three day program starting from June 15, preventive health was a buzzword on the tough training terrain. The street play’s script most effectively underlined the fact that excessive salt and sugar intake could be one potent factor which might trigger hypertension and diabetes.

J.P. Yadav, the iconic DIG and principal of the school, tall and commanding in his persona and passion for excellence, found it very useful for the commandos , who are harnessed in difficult and deadly terrain.  He exhorted commandos  to follow the lessons for good health contained in the campaign ‘Chhupe Rustam : the silent killers’. In true spirit of able leadership, Mr. Yadav did all possible to make this campaign a great success, though it was quite a challenge to allocate time from a very tight schedule of the daily rigorous training. Mr. Yadav carries the conviction that being alert for health is as crucial as while patrolling the border. Mr. Yadav said, ‘such health sensitization as this is a must for armed forces because they have to cope with difficult situations. It should be a rule rather than exceptions.’

NGOs Sukhi Sansar (Dr. Sushila Sansar Chand Almast Public Welfare Trust) and Paridhi Art Group are jointly running this program nationally through a well crafted street play, which is emerging as a very effective vehicle to spread health awareness and keep people free from diseases. An adept director that Paridhi Art group  president  Nirmul Ratanlal Vaid is, he created an instant street play troupe from among the commandos  who are rigorously trained for fighting insurgents in as difficult a terrain as Dantewara ( Chhattisgarh). A history was created.

The icing on the cake this time around was that Nirmul Ratanlal Vaid also initiated them into Yoga to keep free of tension and arm them with art of relaxation. Much before PM Modi powered International Yoga Day celebrations on Mahidanda camp, forces were warmed up by three day yoga sessions conducted by Nirmul Vaid.  Over 500 ITBP commandos  and officers were screened for hypertension and diabetes. Even principal Mr. Yadav offered himself for screening. These twin life style conditions, if left unguarded can wreak havoc with the human body.  Free screening was done quite commendably by the posse of medics under the able guidance of Dr. Naresh Kumar Reddy.

Dr. Sushrut Almast, founder of Sukhi Sansar and Chuppe Rustam campaign, the indefatigable preventive health campaigner, said, ‘I will not rest till getting screening every year for hypertension and diabetes becomes a habit with every Indian. I want that no one in India should get unwell to be fleeced later by unscrupulous health providers. Forces guarding the nation need to be sensitized about preventive health’.  Dhananjay Kumar, Meditoall health editor and media advisor for the campaign did his bit by convincing commandos  about the importance of preventive health.

The Campaign Chhupe Rustam : the silent killers aims to inculcate among people all and sundry the habit of getting screened every year to stall the progression of these twin health hazards and catching them by their jugular before they go haywire.

DIG J.P. Yadav, the principal of the school was so mighty impressed by the ability of over a dozen young commandos  who acted quite impressively in the street play; he announced a cash award Rs 300 for each one of them. Certificates were distributed by him among those commandos  and officers who proactively took part in this campaign.

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