Siachen Miracle: What The Lone Surviving Soldier Has Taught Us!

Ever since a deadly avalanche hit the army post in Siachen, India has been holding its breath and praying for the safety of the 10 soldiers who were reported to be missing. Following the unfortunate incident, rescue operations began immediately only to be obstructed by tough and unfavourable conditions.

Siachen, the world’s highest and coldest battle field, offers the most challenging survival conditions for humans. Reports suggest that more soldiers have died here due to adverse climatic conditions than in battles. A battle field that gets colder up to minus forty degrees Celsius is surely not a place we can imagine living in! So, first of all, here’s a big salute to that every single soldier of our country, who has ever lived or is living here to protect us from enemy nations.

After about a week of rescue operations at Siachen, one soldier, Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad was found alive by the rescue team. Buried under about 25 feet of snow for over six days, the soldier was reported to be alive while all nine of his colleagues were reported dead. This, in itself, is a big achievement for the soldier, for the rescue team and for the nation on the whole.

However, the lone surviving braveheart has been reported to be in coma right now. A personification of courage, passion, fighting spirit and endless love for one’s nation, he is a hero who has made us proud in numerous ways today! Of course, the nation cannot repay these bravehearts for all the sacrifices they have made until today, merely out for love for their nation. Let’s all join hands and pray to God for his safety and speedy recovery. Also, let’s pay homage to all those brave souls who lost their lives while guarding our nation selflessly.

This one and only survivor of the terrible natural calamity has taught us more than courage and valour. It has taught us to love selflessly while the entire nation is celebrating the week of love, i.e., the Valentine’s week. He has taught us to stick by our principles and fight endlessly and fearlessly to achieve what we love. He taught us to be selfless, courageous and take pride in standing up for the nation. He has taught us to fight all the obstacles that come in our way to success. Truly, he is a person who deserves respect from the entire world!

Also, hats off to all those brave and passionate sons of India who join the Indian armed forces, not bothering about their own life.

Until we get any further update on the condition of Hanamanthappa, let us all just keep our fingers crossed!

10 Things A Job In The Corporate Sector Taught Me

Remember the times when we were kids and dreamt of growing up to be successful engineers, lawyers and professionals one day? Remember how much we hated going to school and studying and wished we would grow faster to live a settled life like our parents? All of us, at some point of time, have yearned for a lucrative corporate job that would facilitate a good, satisfied life. But, well, now I know, a lucrative job and satisfaction don’t really go hand in hand!

There are so many things the corporate world teaches us. Here is a list of the 10 things that I learnt working in this sector.

1. In the race to earn more, personal life becomes a dream

Everyone working in the corporate sector will agree with me on this. We all want to earn more today so that we can give our family a better life. But, the question is, do we have any life at all? We work day and night, rack our brains and sometimes even skip meals to finish tasks. But that’s what a machine is supposed to do, isn’t it? Where’s the personal life?

2. You can be deep in shit and yet have to remain calm

The corporate life puts you in shit, actually deep in shit. You might feel tired, upset, frustrated or even want to kill someone. But no, you cannot do that. All you can do is put on a smile, get out of that conference room and stick your eyes back to the computer once again!

3. There’s a difference between friends and colleagues

Yes, this is probably the most important lessons that the corporate world taught me. When we were at college, every classmate was introduced as a ‘friend’. But in the corporate world, there are hardly any ‘friends’. They are ‘colleagues’. Yes, there’s a difference!

4. No matter how much you hate someone, you still have to deal with them (There’s no choice!)

How many times have you wanted to kill your boss or just give it to him on his face? How many times have you hated that dumbass colleague in your team who does nothing yet is boss’s favourite? No matter how much you hate them, there’s simply no choice! You have to deal with them, and yeah, deal with them with a smile on the face. Now that’s what we call shit!

5. You have to ask for the things you want

Gone are the days when you would go home and mom would keep a cup of tea ready for you on the table. You are out of that safe haven now, in a world that doesn’t care who you are or what you want. So, if you want something, simply ask for it. Remember that salary appraisal meeting?

6. Sometimes you have to apologize for mistakes you never made

Not all the time, though, but if you have got that really cunning boss, you would surely agree with me on this. Yes, you never made any mistake but you have to apologize because your boss thinks you were wrong. And the boss is always right, remember?

7. No one’s going to entertain you. You have to make the first move.

Remember how nervous you were on the first day of the job? I remember faking smiles and talking to people unnecessarily because, in the long run, I didn’t want to be left alone!

8. Planning is the most important thing in life

This is probably the best lesson that a corporate job will teach you! Planning is the most important step of any project at work and also in life. Just make a systematic plan of things and half the work is already done.

9. You cannot do what your heart says

How many times have you wanted to put down your resignation after a tiff with the boss or a colleague? How many times have you wanted to simply ditch that monotonous job and go out on a world tour? Yes, we all feel that especially on Mondays but you cannot simply do what your heart says. In fact, in the corporate life, you are only expected to use brains, not the heart!

10. Emotions have no place in the corporate world

Emotions are for the weak in the corporate world. When at work, you are not expected to get too much emotionally attached to people because some day they are all going to part ways and head to different roads. And, you cannot simply let emotions take over or cry your heart out every time your boss insults you! That’s how the corporate world makes you strong!

But, in the end, this is a job that helps us fill our stomach every day and wear those fancy clothes from branded labels, isn’t it? So, like it or not, accept it, move on and love the work you do!

Also read: 
Bachpan (A poem written by me for all those corporates who follow a hectic routine every day!)

A Job In The Corporate IT Sector: A Blessing Or A Curse?