As the ceasefire between India and Pakistan along the Line of Control continues, the army has taken up a stress management programme for jawans deployed at border posts in Tanghdhar in Jammu and Kashmir.
The jawans are allowed to spend up to a week at stress management centre 'Gulchain', where they participate in several recreational and sports activities.
"We have started the centre so that the jawans can take up activities that normally they would not be able to do, as they are posted on mountainous posts. The activities act as stress busters for the jawans and they return to the posts rejuvenated," a senior army officer, whose unit runs the centre, said.
The centre was established much before the ceasefire began on November 26 last year. "But the troops were constantly busy with other activities, like [replying to] shelling from across the border and preventing infiltration. With the Line of Control fencing complete, infiltration in this sector is negligible," the officer said.
It started functioning properly only after the two countries agreed to stop cross-border shelling, he added.
He said the jawans are brought to the centre on a rotational basis for four to six days and allowed to take up activities like badminton, carom and computer games.
"We have also set up a dedicated STD telephone line so that they can talk to their families," the officer said.
The jawans said the centre has done wonders for their psyche. "We come here on a rotational basis every three or four months. It is an ideal place to release the tension accrued [while] being up there [on the post] with four or five men for such long durations. Here, we are able to meet other people and contact our families also," a jawan, who was about to return to his post, said.
Another place which jawans and officers are said to visit to take a break is the 'Nasta Chun' pass, also known as 'Sadhna', the famous actress of yesteryears, following her visit to the place.